Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of coup – Antony Blinken

According to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaking to the BBC, the Russian Wagner mercenary outfit is “taking advantage” of the unrest in Niger.

A junta has been in charge of the nation since President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown over two weeks ago.

There are rumours that Wagner, which is known to be present in nearby Mali, was requested for assistance by the coup leaders.

According to Mr. Blinken, neither Russia nor Wagner were responsible for the coup in Niger.

He told the BBC’s Focus on Africa show that the US was concerned about the group “possibly manifesting itself” in some Sahel areas.

“I believe that neither Russia nor Wagner started the events that have occurred and are still occurring in Niger, but they sought to use it.

Death, ruin, and exploitation have always followed this Wagner bunch everywhere they have gone, according to Mr. Blinken.

“Insecurity has increased, not decreased.”

The “repeat of what happened in other countries, where they left nothing but bad things in their wake,” he continued, was present.

The US and France both maintain military installations in Niger as part of efforts to dismantle Islamist organisations active throughout the region. After being ordered to leave Mali due to a coup, Niger became the major base for French forces.

In nations like the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, where it has profitable business interests but also supports Russia’s political and economic ties, Wagner is thought to have thousands of fighters.

In numerous African nations, the fighters of the group have been charged with widespread violations of human rights.

Despite this, there have been rumours that Wagner has been requested for aid by the Niger army as the nation prepares for possible military action.

In “difficult and frank” discussions with the coup leaders on Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland claimed that they were aware of the dangers of cooperating with the mercenaries.

Additionally, Mr. Bazoum, who is now in custody, has expressed his worries about Wagner’s influence in Africa.

“With an open invitation from the coup plotters and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via the Wagner Group, whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine,” he wrote in an opinion article for the Washington Post that was published last week.

Although it is presently unknown if Wagner fighters have entered the nation, the well-known Telegram channel Grey Zone, which is connected to Wagner, reported on Monday that 1,500 of its fighters had lately been dispatched to Africa.

It was unclear exactly where in the continent they were reportedly stationed.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, pleaded with the junta to “give us a call” in a voice recording posted to Telegram on Tuesday.

“We are always on the side of good, on the side of justice, and on the side of those who fight for their sovereignty and for the rights of their people,” he declared.

As a former French colony, Niger has seen a wave of anti-French and pro-Russian sentiment comparable to that seen in its neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso, both of which have turned towards Moscow since their respective coups.

The two nations, who are both suspended from the West African regional group Ecowas, sent a mission to Niamey to convince the coup leaders that they will support them if necessary in their fight against other West African countries and their Western friends.

Abdoulaye Maiga, a representative for the Mali government, said during the visit, “I would like to remind you that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have been dealing with the negative… consequences of Nato’s hazardous adventure in Libya for over 10 years.”

One thing is certain: Presidents Goita of Mali and Traoré of Burkina Faso have categorically stated “no, no, and no. No military intervention in Niger will be tolerated by us. They are coming in order to save us.

A delegation from the African Union, the United Nations, and the West African regional organisation Ecowas was scheduled to arrive in the capital Niamey on Tuesday, but the junta in Niger has refused to accept them.

The coup leaders claimed that due to “public anger and revolt” over the sanctions imposed by Ecowas, the group’s security could not be guaranteed in a letter obtained by AFP on Tuesday.

Ecowas had given the coup leaders in Niger till Sunday to abdicate and hand over power to Mr. Bazoum; they are now scheduled to convene on Thursday to decide what to do next.

Following the coup, the Niger junta chose Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, the previous finance minister, to lead the nation as prime minister.

Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, who was away in Europe during the coup, is replaced by Mr. Zeine.