US Secretary of State Antony Blinken poses for a photograph with members of the Niger Defence and Security Forces before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken waves before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken poses for a photograph with Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with Nigerien Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou before departing Niger at the Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger, on March 17, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with a youth organization from the locality of Abala (western Niger) who benefit from American financial support in the dairy sector, in Niamey, Niger, on March 16, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Niamey on March 16, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with traditional leaders and Nigerian officials from the Hamdalaye area in Niamey, Niger, on March 16, 2023. BOUREIMA HAMA/Pool via REUTERS 

Emem Thomas, 37, founder of the female-only security team Dragon Squad Limited, hugs her son, Wisdom, 13, as she visits him at school in Calabar, Crossriver, Nigeria, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja SEARCH "ADELAJA DRAGON SQUAD" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Emem Thomas, 37, founder of the female-only security team Dragon Squad Limited, hugs her son, Majesty, 7, as they walk around his school in Calabar, Crossriver, Nigeria, November 17, 2022. REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja SEARCH "ADELAJA DRAGON SQUAD" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah, Mohamed Abdelmonem and Mahmoud Hamada after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Omar Gaber in action with Niger's Amadou Moutari REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah with Niger's Daniel Sosah after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah shakes hands with Niger's Youssef Oumarou after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah shakes hands with Niger's Youssef Oumarou and Daniel Sosah after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt fan displays a flag with Mohamed Salah on it in the stands after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts after the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 General view during the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohammed El Shenawy REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah scores their third goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah scores their third goal from the penalty spot REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mostafa Mohamed celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mostafa Mohamed celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mostafa Mohamed celebrates scoring their second goal with Mohamed Salah and Mahmoud Hamada REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt fan displays a banner in the stands REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Player escorts attempt to take photos with Egypt's Mohamed Salah at half time as Mohamed Hamdy Sharaf looks on REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 A player escort attempts to take a photo with Egypt's Mohamed Salah at half time as Ahmed Hegazy and Mahmoud Hamada look on REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah with a player escort at half time REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mostafa Mohamed in action with Niger's Madjid Soumana and Najeeb Yakubu REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah reacts REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Zizo in action with Niger's Madjid Soumana REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt coach Rui Vitoria REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt coach Rui Vitoria REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Zizo in action with Niger's Seyni Abdoulay REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt players line up before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Niger players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Niger players line up before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt players pose for a team group photo before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Soccer Football - International Friendly - Egypt v Niger - Alexandria Stadium, Alexandria, Egypt - September 23, 2022 Egypt's Mohamed Salah during the warm up before the match REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh 

Athletics - Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting - Ostrava, Czech Republic - May 31, 2022 Niger's Aminatou Seyni celebrates winning the women's 200m with Gambia's Gina Bass REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Athletics - Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting - Ostrava, Czech Republic - May 31, 2022 Niger's Aminatou Seyni celebrates winning the women's 200m REUTERS/David W Cerny 

Athletics - Ostrava Golden Spike Meeting - Ostrava, Czech Republic - May 31, 2022 Allyson Felix of the U.S. and Gambia's Gina Bass and Niger's Aminatou Seyni in action during the women's 200m REUTERS/David W Cerny 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sits in the cockpit of a German A400M transport aircraft enroute to visit German soldiers stationed in Niger for training as part of his state visit, in Niger May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Andreas Rinke 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz meets with military personnel in Tillia, Niger on May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Andreas Rinke 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz inspects the base of the German armed forces in Tillia, Niger May 23, 2022. REUTERS/Andreas Rinke 

Niger's Aminatou Seyni celebrates after winning the women's 200 meters race during the third edition of Kip Keino Classic at the Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, Kenya May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi 

Niger's Aminatou Seyni competes in the women's 200 meters race during the third edition of Kip Keino Classic at the Kasarani stadium in Nairobi, Kenya May 7, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi 

A young drill monkey is seen at the Afi mountain drill ranch in Cross River state, Nigeria, March 10, 2022. Picture taken March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Seun Sanni 

Drill monkeys are seen at the Afi mountain drill ranch sanctuary for endangered animals in Cross River state, Nigeria, March 10, 2022. Picture taken March 10, 2022. REUTERS/Seun Sanni 

Nsikan Eninekit, assistant manager at the drill ranch, talks during an interview with Reuters in Afi Mountain Wildlife Sanctuary, Calabar, Nigeria March 8, 2022. Picture taken March 8, 2022. REUTERS/Seun Sanni 

Peter Adie, a ranger dismantles a trap set by hunters to capture monkeys and other animals near the Drill ranch in Afi mountain drill ranch area of Cross River state, Nigeria, March 7, 2022. Picture taken March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Seun Sanni 

Peter Adie, a ranger, dismantles a trap set by hunters to capture monkeys and other animals near the drill ranch, in Afi mountain drill ranch area of Cross River state, Nigeria, March 7, 2022. Picture taken March 7, 2022. REUTERS/Seun Sanni 

A view of a building under construction along the Niger river, in Bamako, Mali February 19, 2022. Picture taken February 19, 2022. REUTERS/Paul Lorgerie 

A view of a building under construction along the Niger river, in Bamako, Mali February 19, 2022. Picture taken February 19, 2022. REUTERS/Paul Lorgerie