Niger Coup: US' Antony Blinken says Russia's Wagner mercenaries are taking advantage of turmoil
1 min read 09 Aug 2023, 02:35 AM ISTNiger's military junta may seek support from Russia's Wagner group, raising concerns about further destabilization in the region.
PremiumThe military junta currently ruling the African state of Niger may turn to Russia's Wagner group for support in the coming days. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced concern about the mercenary troops "possibly manifesting itself" in parts of the Sahel region. The concern is not wholly unfounded with neighbouring Mali having taken a similar route two years earlier.
“I think what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but... they tried to take advantage of it. Every single place that this Wagner group has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed," Blinken told BBC.
Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a military coup nearly two weeks ago. Since then the country's new military leaders have eschewed all efforts to reinstall the ousted leader as well as diplomatic missions aimed at restoring constitutional order. This in turn has led to a growing list of sanctions against entities and individuals involved in the takeover.
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The US has not yet called the junta's actions a coup, which would mean Niger would stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and other aid. It also would mean US pulling its support for a major drone base it built in Niger to monitor extremists - something that reports quoting analysts suggested the US would be loathe to do.
Coups however have been rampant in the region in recent years. Neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have had two each since 2020 with little regard for the regional bloc known as ECOWAS or other regulating entities.
Western allies fear that Niger could go the way of Mali, which threw out French troops and UN peacekeepers and invited in mercenaries from Wagner group after a 2021 coup. According to reports from the ensuing months, the Malian army as well as fighters presumed to be from Wagner have since carried out a brutal military offensive. While witnesses and rights groups say they executed hundreds of civilians last year, the army and Wagner deny the charges.
(With inputs from agencies)
