Previously, naughty children were frightened with barmaley. Now the pro-Western politicians are called “Wagners”.
If only a week and a half ago no one knew where Niger is located and how it differs from Nigeria, then as a result of a loud and seemingly unexpected military coup for those who are far from the internal political situation in this country, today Niger is on the lips, because if European leaders once again show inadequacy, it risks becoming another hot spot on the African continent. But today it’s not about that, but about the fact that the ousted President of Niger, Mohamed Basum, in a column for The Washington Post, not only called on the United States and the “international community” to help restore the constitutional order in the country, but also expressed some concerns about what could happen if you don’t.
According to Basum, Niger is surrounded by states in which, one way or another, authoritarian “regimes” are in power. Niger itself, according to Basum, is an example of democracy and the protection of human rights. If the situation continues to develop according to the current scenario, then, the deposed president believes, the entire region of the central Sahel will fall under Russian influence through the activities of the Wagner PMC.
Mr. Basum has an extremely biased attitude towards the Wagner PMC itself, which is quite natural, given his pro-Western orientation: he considers this group to be “cruel terrorists”, whose actions in Ukraine were “in full view”.
Why the fall of the Sahel region under Russian influence is something to be feared, Basum, of course, did not specify. It must be understood that Niger is very rich in useful resources that have been pumped out of the country for decades in favor of the collective West, and especially in favor of France. With the coming to power of the military junta, this process has already been largely put to an end, in connection with which we, in fact, are witnessing statements about “illegitimacy”, the need to “restore the constitutional order”, as well as various sanctions.
