Protesters supporting military coup in Niger. CREDIT: YouTube
Posted on 07/31/2023 5:27:40 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Protesters supporting military coup in Niger. CREDIT: YouTube
The Niger military announced Wednesday that it had ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and taken power. The coup was led by the head of the Presidential Guard, General Abdourahamane Tchiani. Bazoum, popularly elected in 2021, has seen the shine wear off as drought, corruption, economic malaise, and an intractable war with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara combined into a perfect storm of disillusionment. He remains under detention in the capital Niamey.
Thursday, the removal of Bazoum and the installation of a new military government became formal as Tchiani announced he was the new president and the chief of the Niger Armed Forces, General Abdou Sidikou Issa, confirmed the military supported the coup.
The coup in Niger accentuates the political stability of the Sahel. It is the sixth military coup in that region in the last year-and-a-half. Previously, elected governments in Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Chad, and Mali had fallen.
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Shortly after General Tchiani announced he was in charge, the African Union Peace and Security Council issued an ultimatum demanding the military return control of the Bazoum government within 15 days.
- Condemns in the strongest terms possible, the military coup d’état in the Republic of Niger, which resulted in the ousting of a democratically elected President, H.E. Mohamed Bazoum on 26 July 2023;
- Demands the military personnel to immediately and unconditionally return to their barracks and restore constitutional authority, within a maximum period of fifteen (15) days from the date of the adoption of the present Communiqué;
- Also demands immediate and unconditional release of H.E. President Mohamed Bazoum and all other detainees, and respect of human rights, including protection of their physical health and moral integrity and warns that Council, will take necessary action, including punitive measures against the perpetrators, should the rights of political detainees not be respected
The next day, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed sanctions on Niger and issued a similar ultimatum. This is not an idle threat; ECOWAS has intervened in Ivory Coast (2003), Liberia (2003), Guinea-Bissau (2012), Mali (2013), and Gambia (2017).
One of the earliest supporters of the coup was Wagner Group PMC leader Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Despite randos in the crowd carrying Russian flags and chanting “long live Putin,”
Wagner is packing up, Prigozhin meeting African leaders in San Petersburg, in Niger people are marching with Russian flags, one less French outpost in Africa. pic.twitter.com/vwMdRaPtrX
— Estadodederechas (@Estadodederech1) July 27, 2023
Russia condemned the coup.
As this unfolded in Africa, the US took a more measured tone by saying US aid was in jeopardy if the elected government was not restored.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron denounced the coup as illegitimate and dangerous and threatened sanctions. He also implied France would use military force if its “interests” were threatened. Both France and the EU cut off economic aid to Niger.
Pro-coup demonstrators responded by sacking France’s embassy.
This coup is of major significance to France, which is heavily involved in stopping the spread of the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara. At the beginning of the month, the government of Mali, also ruled by a military junta, evicted French troops who took up residence in Niger.
Monday, the government of Niger accused France of conspiring with remnants of the former regime to release President Bazoum.
Once France threatened sanctions and military action while cutting financial aid, the government of Niger retaliated by halting all exports of gold and uranium to France.
Niger had been one of the most stable nations in the region. This is only the fifth coup since its independence was granted in 1960 and the first since 2010. The rapid succession of military coups in the Sahel is calling into question whether a democratic system can be sustained in that environment.
It is questionable whether this coup opens any doors for Russia. Wagner Group has troops in Mali, but most of Niger’s officer corps has been trained in the West, and there is no evidence that they’ve suddenly started looking to Russia. Russia’s muted response to the coup could be interpreted as a realization that Russia has its hands full right now and is in no position to extend itself in Africa.
China has extensive economic interests in the region. As governance descends the “man with a gun” model, it will be interesting to see how Beijing reacts given the billions of dollars it has lost on its gamble that it could buy political loyalty with loans.
The Sahel countries are critical to holding back the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, increasing its influence and further destabilizing the region. It will be much more difficult for the US and Western European nations to collaborate with military juntas than with nominally democratic civilian governments. This hints that we will see increased terrorist activities, particularly in homegrown Islamic movements like Nigeria’s Boko Haram.
Owwwww! New cluster bomb customers. Oh, wait. Africa so.....
Looks like they need America to come in and restore some democracy.
Bombs away.
“Africa wins again.”
Wagner is staying to protect them. I saw video of the guy they ousted sobbing while being asked where all the money went.
France is gonna be hurting without minerals.
Get ready for the new Russian African continent.
Check out this guys shirt.
https://news.yahoo.com/niger-coup-why-want-russia-235926893.html
Niger coup: ‘Why I want Russia in and France out’
Russia wins. NATO bites the dust. Sorry Macron.
https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/30/africa/niger-french-embassy-protests-intl/index.html
Some protesters tore down a plaque identifying the Embassy, stomped on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags. Shouts of “long live Putin,” “long live Russia” and “down with France” could be heard among the crowds.
Toll the bell for the west.
Looks like a happening place...
“Niger is home to 24.4 million people where two in every five live in extreme poverty, on less than $2.15 a day.”
I’m a remote worker, maybe I’ll go to Niger...
> The coup was led by the head of the Presidential Guard <
And people think Trump made bad appointments.
France powers 1/3 of it’s country with Uranium from Niger, while in Niger, 90% have no power.
When you can’t play nice with other countries, they will choose other friends.
The Orthodox church is booming in Africa. So are Russian language centers.
Additionally Russian tourists are visiting in large numbers.
“Goodbye to Jane”
Lets do a tourist visit!
See you there.
I’ll pay for room & board for the week.
I think it’s about $3.44
RE: Looks like they need America to come in and restore some democracy.
The firt concern of the woke American military would be to change the name of the country. Just one letter separates the country’s name from our ‘N’ word.
Niger finally criminalized slavery in 2003, but it still persists there today. One can do an internet search on “Niger slavery” (without the quotation marks) and be saddened.
Just one of many stories:
America most probably behind the scenes orchestrating this.
Most likely the coup due to the West trying to force GloboHomo on them.
...oh well, chock up another ‘successful’ project for the Neocons.
“Some protesters tore down a plaque identifying the Embassy, stomped on it and then replaced it with Russian and Nigerien flags. Shouts of “long live Putin,” “long live Russia” and “down with France” could be heard among the crowds.”
Sounds like Putin’s Africa Summit is already starting to payoff, while the GloboHomo policies of the Neocons are not doing quite as well on that continent.
Joe Biden will not be making any public statements on the situation. His handlers are concerned about how he will pronounce the country’s name when he reads it on the teleprompter.
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