Posted on 07/26/2023 4:51:53 AM PDT by AdmSmith
Access to the residence and offices of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was blocked off Wednesday by members of the elite Presidential Guard, a source close to Bazoum said, although the reason was unclear. Access to the residence and offices of Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was blocked off Wednesday by members of the elite Presidential Guard.
The landlocked West African state is one of the most unstable nations in the world, experiencing four coups since independence from France in 1960 as well as numerous other attempts on power.
The country is struggling with two jihadist campaigns -- one in the southwest, which swept in from neighbouring Mali in 2015, and the other in the southeast, involving jihadists based in northeastern Nigeria.
3SEP2024
A network of twenty-seven YouTube channels, targeting at least eight West African countries, is spreading pro-Russia and pro-Wagner Group content, with a notable surge in activity following the defeat of Malian and Wagner forces in the battle of Tinzaouaten in northern Mali. The channels appear to be utilizing AI-generated narration to repost content stolen from both trusted local news sources and the Russian media outlet Sputnik. The channels most often shared content focused on Sahelian politics and the domestic political landscape of West African countries, with a significant focus on Mali and Niger.
The Cocobod CEO explained that this intensified exercise is crucial for safeguarding Ghana's cocoa export industry and ensuring the country meets its international export targets. “Cocoa is the backbone of Ghana's economy. It brings in the foreign exchange needed to support our balance of payments. We cannot afford to lose our cocoa exports, especially since we heavily support local farmers,” Mr. Aidoo emphasized.
He also noted that the government, through Cocobod, provides substantial support to cocoa farmers. “This year, we supplied more than enough fertilizers, such as liquid fertilizer, insecticides, and fungicides. Cocobod also funded the pruning of cocoa farms. If cocoa is smuggled out of the country, how are we going to repay the loans we took to invest in our farmers?” he questioned.
Mr. Aidoo went on to disclose a concerning development in cocoa smuggling, attributing the issue to the Russian government. He explained that the Russian military group Wagner, stationed in Burkina Faso, Niger, and other Francophone countries, is involved in buying smuggled cocoa from Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. He disclosed, “Russia has been banned from entering the European market, which has led them to resort to smuggling cocoa. Countries like Burkina Faso and Niger, which do not grow cocoa, are now exporting cocoa. Where are they getting it from?” he asked.
While politically independent from France, are not the commercial ties still making Niger dependent on French interests??
The announcements come as the three West African allies face persistent jihadist attacks and any opposition to the military-led governments is repressed. Wassim Nasr is based in France and specialises in jihadist movements and security issues. The public prosecutors’ offices of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger accused Nasr of making “comments that are tantamount to acts of publicity and blatant support for terrorists”, in statements aired on their respective state television channels late Wednesday. The statements refer to analysis provided by Nasr following rare attacks claimed by Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in the Malian capital Bamako last week which killed dozens of members of the security forces.
They accuse him of having been in contact with the jihadists who they say inform him of their objectives, positions and the toll from their operations. The charges in the investigation are criminal conspiracy, complicity in a terrorist act and defending terrorism.
“France 24 denounces these serious and unfounded accusations and expresses its full support for Wassim Nasr,” the broadcaster said in a statement. It added that Nasr was “renowned for his objective, factual and accurate coverage” of the region and that he cross-checked his information with all sources “including within the regimes concerned”.
“These legal proceedings mark a further stage in the restrictions on press freedom suffered by local colleagues and the international media in this area”, the statement said. “A thought for colleagues in the Sahel and to those who suffer the arbitrariness of these regimes in the flesh,” Nasr posted on X late Wednesday.
Following a string of coups since 2020, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have broken alliances with European partners and former colonial power France, turning instead to new partners including Russia. The military-led governments have suspended a number of French media outlets including France 24 and Radio France Internationale. Correspondents from several foreign media have been forced to leave, go into exile or cease work.
https://www.barrons.com/news/sahel-juntas-open-investigation-against-france-24-journalist-09525585
Wassim is a reliable journalist who does his job well, too well in the opinion of the Russian-inspired costume goblins in the area.
The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and Burkina Faso, Sergei Lavrov and Karamoko Traore, signed a joint document on not being the first to place weapons in space. The signing of the joint statement took place in New York on the sidelines of events at the UN General Assembly. After this, the heads of the foreign policy departments held negotiations.
That sounds reassuring, I was always concerned that Burkina Faso would do this.
For that matter, the Presidency in the United States is ‘sealed off.’
Wheat production in Africa is relatively low, so most African countries rely on imports to meet demand. Benin is dependent on it by as much as 99.8%. Although small by African standards, this country is a significant producer of wheat flour in the region, exporting it to Niger, Burkina Faso, and even to France and Germany.
Russia's aggression against Ukraine has made wheat supplies uncertain, resulting in price increases of up to 30% over the past year.
Many farmers in Benin have returned to ancient traditions and started producing flour from bananas. This trend is also seen in Togo, Liberia, and other West African countries, which are facing the worst food crisis in history. Various factors contribute to this crisis, such as Islamist uprisings forcing farmers off their lands, as well as floods, droughts, and the war in Ukraine exacerbating the situation.
The largest African recipient of Russian wheat is Egypt, which purchased 1.4 million tons in September. Russia also sells wheat to Algeria, Mozambique, Tunisia, Tanzania, Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and even Namibia and Botswana, countries whose cuisines traditionally rely on corn.
For Kenya, Russia has become the seventh largest supplier of this grain, whereas it was ninth last year. Moroccan buyers have resumed purchasing Russian wheat after a two-year hiatus, due to pressure from local millers. Russia has now become one of Morocco's largest suppliers. This North African country is expected to buy more Russian wheat this season than French, as France, traditionally its main supplier, anticipates exporting much less due to rain-damaged crops.
Africa switched to Russian grain this year mainly because it was cheaper than Ukrainian grain. In early October, Russian wheat was priced at $236 per ton at the Egyptian port of Alexandria, compared to $245 for Ukrainian wheat. Ukraine has focused on markets other than Africa and is currently exporting wheat to countries such as Indonesia and Vietnam.
However, next year could present more challenges for Russian wheat. Russian crop yields are expected to drop to their lowest level in 11 years by 2025. Russia, the world's largest wheat exporter, has been hit by a severe drought threatening its winter crops. According to Reuters, wheat production in Russia has been declining since it reached a record 5.8 billion bushels in 2022. Last year, yields fell to 5.4 billion bushels, and this year's forecast has been lowered to 4.8 billion bushels.
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