The junta led by General Abdourahmane Tiani since July 2023 has made national sovereignty one of its priorities, as has its neighbour and ally Burkina Faso, which is also military run.

Last week, Burkina Faso authorities dissolved more than 100 NGOs and associations, many of them involved in the defence of human rights, and banned them from operating.

In Niger, the military regularly accuses NGOs of lacking transparency and of supporting "terrorists" -- armed groups that are destabilising several parts of the country.

Last year, authorities banned several local and international NGOs from operating, criticising them for failing to publish their 2024 financial statements on time in the official gazette.

"We had 4,700 NGOs. Today, we have 1,800," General Mohamed Toumba announced on state television on Tuesday evening.

More than 330 international NGOs were registered in Niger but the number of those affected by the suspensions was not specified.

Toumba explained that the suspensions were part of a "clean-up" and that "clear missions have been assigned" to NGOs, which must now "align themselves with national development priorities".

NGOs and associations raised more than 250 billion CFA francs ($448 million) in 2024, according to official figures.

Burkina Faso, which is a partner with Niger and Mali in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), last year adopted a law that subjects associations to strict administrative obligations.