Russia will look to take advantage of an attempted coup in one of the few remaining West African countries aligned with the US-led West, an expert has warned.
The Presidential Guard of Niger, now with the backing of the country’s military, announced the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazum on Wednesday (July 26) evening.
Mr Bazum responded on Thursday morning (July 27) vowing to save democracy while Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, “conveyed the unwavering support of the United States” to the President. But the situation is “deteriorating”, according to the country’s foreign minister: its borders have been closed and a national curfew instated.
Nigerien civilians supporting the rebel troops walked through the capital waving Russian flags and celebrating the overthrowing of Mr Bazoum on Thursday afternoon (pictured above), while young children were seen with the letter “Z”, a symbol of Russia’s war against Ukraine, emblazoned on their clothes.
Experts have now warned that the Wagner Group, already stationed in both Mali and Burkina Faso, could use the chaos to “extend their influence”.
READ MORE Niger soldiers announce military coup on national television
Africa’s Sahel region has been especially volatile over the past decade as corrupt leaders and their militaries have battled with Islamic jihadist groups such as Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), an offshoot of the organisation once under the control of Osama Bin Laden, and Islamic State (IS).
Multiple countries in the West African region sought the help of foreign powers to fight these Islamic jihadist groups.
And while countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso pivoted to Moscow, reportedly enlisting the help of the Wagner Group (both countries deny this), Niger remained one of the few Western-affiliated countries.
French troops that fled Mali following two coups and the alleged arrival of Wagner now reside in Niger while the US has a £77 million ($100m) drone base in the country.
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Experts have warned that the coup attempt now underway in Niger could undermine the western influence in the country and pave the way for Wagner to involve themselves in another nation within the Sahel.
Ulf Lessing, from the German analytical centre Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftun, described President Bazum as the West’s “only hope in the region”.
He said France, the US and the European Union had “spent a significant amount to strengthen the security of Niger and its security forces”, the unravelling of which could spark a power vacuum; mercenary groups such as the Wagner Group, operating on behalf of Vladimir Putin, thrive on manipulating such chaos for their own gains.
Mr Lessing said: “Bazum was their only hope in the region. The coup will allow Russia and other players to extend their influence.”
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In a call with Mr Bazoum on Wednesday, US secretary of state Anthony Blinken said Western support of Niger was predicated on the “democratic governance and respect for the rule of law and human rights”.
Implied in those comments was that the US will not support a Nigerien junta nor the authority of an unelected government.
On the same day, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations secretary-general, also said he had spoken to the president and offered the UN’s full support to the uranium-rich country.
In a subsequent plea, Niger’s foreign minister, Hassoumi Massoudou, urged the plotters to stand down. He told France24: “We ask all the fractious soldiers to return to their ranks. Everything can be achieved through dialogue but the institutions of the republic must function.”
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