Metropolis Desk-
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday accused Russia’s Wagner mercenary coup of “taking advantage” of the crisis circumstances amid political upheaval in Niger following a military coup last week.
Notably, the leaders of the coup in Niger have disregarded a deadline established by the ECOWAS regional economic bloc for the release and restoration of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and have reportedly requested aid from Wagner forces, who had previously been involved in an armed uprising against Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“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, Blinken told the BBC.
He added that Mali and Burkina Faso, which supported the coup in Niger, were two countries in the West African region where the US was concerned about the mercenary group “possibly manifesting itself” because of the “rise in insecurity.”
As part of counterterrorism efforts against Islamist militants operating in the Sahel region, the US maintains about 1,000 military personnel in Niger. Additionally, 1,500 French military soldiers are stationed in the recently militarized nation.
On the other side, it’s thought that thousands of Wagner fighters are stationed in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, where they support Russia’s political and commercial links while also pursuing lucrative business interests. Niger is a big producer of uranium, a crucial component of nuclear arsenals, hence it is believed that Wagner has had Niger as one of its long-term goals.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of Wagner, had earlier characterized the coup as an aspect of Niger’s struggle against the “colonizers.” “It means achieving independence. The Niger people’s ability to rule effectively will determine the remainder, according to Prigozhin, who commented.
The military was aware of the dangers associated with cooperating with the mercenary outfit, according to US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland, who had “difficult and frank” discussions with the coup leaders in Nigeria.
Source- BBC News
