• Sources cite a statement by a collective of civil society groups as calling for a new protest march to take place from Toumo Square to the Place de la Concertation in Niamey on February 11. An exact time has not been specified as of writing.
• The protest is reportedly intended to denounce the government’s efforts to suppress independent media and demonstrate in support of press freedom. The civil society collective additionally continues to protest against the 2018 Finance Law.
• The civil society collective organized a similar protest on January 28, during which thousands of people participated.

1. This is the latest in what has become biweekly protests organized by civil society groups in Niamey. The main target remains the 2018 Finance Law, which they say disproportionately increases the tax burden on the poorest Nigeriens, though evidently their focus has also expanded to include support of press freedom. Furthermore, the civil society collective recently praised a new opposition front for its protest on February 4 in Niamey, which not only denounced the finance law but also criticized the presence of foreign military bases in Niger, which is indicative of the wide concerns regarding President Mahamadou Issoufou’s government.
2. FORECAST: Although the civil society marches in Niamey have been ongoing for several months, they have maintained their momentum, and there are likely to be participants in the low to mid thousands on February 11. While the exact time of the protest has not been specified, precedent suggests that it will take place during the mid-morning hours and last for several hours. Finally, several recent civil society marches have taken place peacefully and this is likely to remain the case. However, there have been similar protests organized by the same groups in the past that have seen heavy unrest and given the anti-government nature of the demonstration, there remains the potential for a police crackdown.

Those operating or residing in Niamey on February 11 are advised to avoid nonessential travel to the vicinity of the demonstration given the potential for unrest.