Bazoum warns of Russian influence in Sahel through Wagner

More than a week after the coup d'état in Niger, the crisis is deepening in the country and the region. Regional and international pressure is mounting against the military junta led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, while hundreds of people have once again taken to the streets to express their support for the coup leaders and their rejection of the West, especially France.

As is recurrent and as was the case in previous protests, the pro-junta demonstrators carried banners expressing their hatred of France and their support for Russia. However, as the BBC reports, this time the organisers of the protests asked people not to wave Russian flags as they did before, so there were far fewer of them compared to other demonstrations. 

The strong anti-French sentiment of part of Nigerian society - as many people do not support the coup - and the coup leaders has led to the suspension of French media outlets such as the radio station RFI and the television channel France24, as condemned by the French Foreign Ministry, which called the decision "authoritarian repression".  

At the regional and international level, condemnation of the coup continues. Following the threat by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to forcibly remove the new military leadership if power is not returned to Mohamed Bazoum, the country's elected president, the United States has expressed its support for the African organisation and Senegal has offered troops to help. "These coups must stop," said Senegalese Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall, according to AP.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said ECOWAS efforts to restore ousted President Bazoum - now under arrest - are "important, strong and have our support". However, according to the news agency, the head of US diplomacy did not refer specifically to the threat of military action by the bloc, which has set Sunday as the deadline for restoring Bazoum as president. 

Meanwhile, the president-elect - close to the West - has written an article in The Washington Post highlighting the gravity of the situation and warning of Russian influence in the Sahel, a region that has seen several Wagner-backed coups in the past.

"I am writing this as a hostage", Bazoum begins, and in the first paragraph he issues a worrying warning: if the coup succeeds, "it will have devastating consequences for the country, the region and the whole world".

The president recalls that his government came to power after democratic elections and is grateful for the support provided by the United States, Europe and ECOWAS, partners with which Bazoum has established solid alliances. 

The Nigerian leader dismantles the argument on which the coup plotters base their justification for the military uprising. According to the new authorities, the coup was necessary to protect Niger's security. However, Bazoum stresses that during his tenure the nation's security situation "improved dramatically", facilitated in part by foreign backing and alliances. "Foreign aid represents 40 per cent of our national budget, but it will not be delivered if the coup succeeds," he writes.

On national security, Bazoum notes that in the south of the country, where they face threats from the terrorist group Boko Haram, there have been almost no attacks for two years and refugees are returning to their villages. "As a testament to this reality, our partners, including the US Agency for International Development, are shifting their operations from humanitarian aid to development initiatives, such as generating sustainable energy, improving agricultural productivity and educating Niger's next generation of leaders," he explains.  

As in the south, Bazoum says that the north and west of the country have also seen no major attacks since he took office in 2021. In fact, he compares the situation with its neighbours, pointing out that the situation in Niger is much better than in Mali and Burkina Faso, whose military juntas support the coup in Niger and maintain ties with Wagner's mercenaries.  

In this sense, Bazoum notes that his country positions itself "as the last bastion of respect for human rights in the midst of authoritarianism". "With an open invitation from the coup plotters and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could fall under Russian influence through the Wagner Group, whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine," warns Bazoum, who also mentions that Boko Haram and other terrorist groups could take advantage of Niger's current instability.

The Nigerien president concludes his article by stressing that many young people will suffer "hateful anti-Western indoctrination against the very partners who are helping to build a more hopeful future". He also calls on the international community to help Niger restore constitutional order. "The people of Niger will never forget your support at this crucial moment in our history," he concludes.