Now a critical question is whether Niger might pivot and engage Wagner as a counterterrorism partner like its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, which have kicked out French forces.įrance shifted more than 1,000 personnel to Niger after pulling out of Mali last year. The West had wanted to strengthen Niger's government so it could stand up to extremist Islamic groups operating in the region. There's even a US drone based used for counter-terror operations - and its fate is now unclear. More than 1,000 US personnel are said to be in the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country in March to strengthen ties and announce $150 million in direct assistance, calling the country "a model of democracy". The revolt is a blow for the US and its Western allies. The country's military leadership has declared its support for a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum.Īll political activity has been suspended. Tonight, there is news of a coup in the African nation of Niger.Īs we reported in our previous post, the White House does not believe Russia or the Wagner group has been involved in the coup.īut there have been a series of links between Wagner and the African continent in the past decade - and this is another reminder. ![]() ![]() Surprisingly, despite the tensions between them after a failed rebellion this summer, Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin appeared to be there, too (see our 1.07pm post). Today, Vladimir Putin has been speaking to African leaders in Russia - which we've covered in these pages.
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