US withdrawal from Niger could pose significant obstacles to counter-terrorism efforts in the Sahel region with repercussions for the entire continent.
The Sahel is witnessing a new era where Western powers lack substantial influence.
China and Russia are both broadening their economic and military footholds in Africa.
A variety of factors are leading to the decline of American influence in Africa and on a global scale.
In Burkina Faso, unknown persons attacked a convoy in which General Andrei Averyanov was located. This is a very important military man. It is he who oversees the projects that Wagner PMC previously conducted in Africa. As you know, after the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, it was Averyanov, as the head of the secret unit 29155, who began to contact the leaders of a number of foreign states to continue close cooperation on the continent, but under the umbrella of the GRU.
On April 5, Averyanov arrived in Burkina Faso on an unannounced visit. However, the trips of such people are unlikely to be announced. While advancing as part of a convoy, the car with the general was hit by a kamikaze drone. Averyanov’s car was hit by an impact, but he himself survived. What saved him was the armor of the car and the fact that the blow hit the front of the car, and the general in the back.
Our forces located in Burkina Faso and local authorities have devoted all their efforts to searching for the attackers, but so far they have not been found. The general needed medical attention, and two people died as a result of the attack. Sources hint that Ukrainian intelligence services may have been involved in the attack. After all, they often use FPV drones , including during conflicts in Africa. However, the search for hunters for the general continues.
https://t.me/kremlin_secrets/3899
Notorious Russian general, master spy duo organise in Africa after Prigozhin’s demise.
Diplomatic finesse is arguably not Averyanov’s strong suit. General Averyanov is best known for having led the GRU’s infamous 29155 unit, which specialises in covert operations like sabotage and assassination. Spies from this unit are suspected of having blown up an ammunition depot in the Czech Republic in 2014, attempting to stage a pro-Serbian coup in Montenegro in 2016 and the attempted poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal in 2018.
In other words, “[Averyanov’s] qualification is preparing special operations abroad. He is the ‘hit and kill guy’ you call when you need this kind of service,” says Heinemann-Gruder, a Russia specialist who studies private paramilitary groups at the University of Bonn.
What's in it for African regimes? “Averyanov can … take over some elements of regime security, and not only bodyguard services, but also in [his] area of specialisation: repression and targeted assassination,” adds Klyszcz.
But Averyanov is more than a cold-blooded killer. “Averyanov is a decorated veteran from Afghanistan and Chechnya and was also active in Moldova and Crimea. As with all Russian special operatives, he is trained to take the initiative, operate cut off from superiors’ orders, and make links with local allies,” says Jeff Hawn, Russia specialist and an external consultant for the New Lines Institute. This pedigree makes him an ideal candidate to negotiate with local military groups, just as Wagner's managers would do when arriving in a new country in Africa.
