- Last Wednesday there was a coup in Niamey. General Abdourrahmane Tchiani leads the battered military group and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has given them a week to reinstate their former president, threatening the authorities to say they will use “force”.
Despite being the fourth largest producer of uranium, more than 60% of the 25 million citizens live in poverty. The coups have been backed by increasingly critical citizens with former President Mohamend Bazoum.
The damage caused by the coup affects the entire Sahel region and may lead to war within the country. External agents can also enter into war, such as the US or France. The United States has the drone base of Agadez, where France has a major mining operation, as 24% of the uranium used in Europe comes from Niger and 15% from France.
ECOWAS calls for the re-establishment of the former president and if they do not do so in a week " they will take the necessary steps to restore constitutional order " . The United States and the European Union have supported ECOWAS and the picture can become a “power game” between the US, the EU and Russia. The US and the EU are currently suspending economic aid to Niger.
Participation of Russia
The demonstrations in favour of the coup also saw Russian flags. In a context of growing opposition to France, this is the time for Russia to increase its presence in the Sahelian community, especially if they need military forces. The military junta hit denounces France for the search for “military participation”.