A coup d’état organized a few days ago by a military group in the Central African country of Niger is gaining momentum. The day before, the putschists arrested President Mohammed Bazum, announced a curfew and banned the activities of political parties, as well as any protests. At the same time, it is reported that hundreds of people were injured in street clashes, there are dead. Against this background, international analysts did not rule out that the Russian Federation could be indirectly involved in these events.
It needs to be stated right away. To date, there is no evidence of Moscow’s support for the rebellion in Niger. Even more – speaking at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg, Russian leader Vladimir Putin condemned the actions of the Niger military and the local national guard, and the head of Russian diplomacy, Sergei Lavrov, openly called them “an anti-constitutional undertaking”.
And yet the fact remains. In the capital of the country, Niamey, hundreds of supporters of the putsch gathered near the looted and burned building of the ruling presidential party with Russian flags, shouting anti-American and anti-French slogans. And the leader of the conspiracy, Colonel Amadou Abdraman, speaking on local television, said that the same official Niamey allegedly hopes for large-scale economic and even political assistance from Moscow.
It should be especially noted that such tacit support from the Kremlin is indeed a junta in the neighboring countries of Niger – Mali and Burkina Faso, respectively, in 2020 and 2023. Then the forces of the Russian private military company Wagner were sent to these states. “However, now it is unlikely that the disgraced Wagnerites will be transferred there from Belarus or the same Mali, – French observer Marie Pyudebat said in a commentary for EURO-ATLANTIC UKRAINE. – The only way Russia can help Abdraman and his team is to provide economic and food assistance to Niamey. But in any case, figuratively speaking, Moscow is sitting in the front row in relation to the “putsch theater” in Niger”.
At the moment, the largest French military base in Central Africa is located in Niger. In all likelihood, the military personnel of the army of the French Republic will partially take over a certain protection of order in the country. In addition, Paris needs to ensure the uninterrupted operation of local uranium mines, raw materials from which are exported in large quantities to France.
Given all of the above, how events will develop in this vein in Niger, no one can say with accuracy. The “performance” in the Niger “putsch theater” continues.
