The West saw Niger as a democratic bulwark. Then, a coup happened.
Washington Post
“Niger is a young democracy in a challenging part of the world,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in March. In this context, the turbulent events of the past couple days are a rude shock.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/07/28/niger-coup-democratic-region-mali-democracy/