Military coup in Niger: junta leaders ask for help from PMC 'Wagner'

Niger's new military junta has turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for help as it approaches the time it must release the country's ousted president or face possible military intervention from the West African regional bloc. What is happening there and why Niger needs the Wagnerites, the publication figured out AP News.

Photo: IStock

What happened

On July 26, 2023, a military group announced the removal of the President of the Republic of Niger and its government from power. Later, the rebel leader appeared on state television and announced himself as the country's new leader. UNIAN.

After the military coup in Niger, the leaders of the neighboring countries, which formed the military-political bloc ECOWAS, applied sanctions against Niger and threatened to use military force to restore the legitimate authority in the country.

France, which has its military bases on the territory of Niger, refused to withdraw troops at the request of the leaders of the junta.

West African defense ministers have drawn up a plan for a military invasion of Niger in case the leaders of the military junta do not comply with the ultimatum and return power to the legitimate government by August 6, 2023.

Deposed President Mohamed Bazum asked to save Africa from Russia and the Wagner PMC, which is active in Mali and Burkina Faso, neighboring countries of Niger.

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The press secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov, answering a question about the appeal of the President of Niger to the world community, said that "it is unlikely that the intervention of some extra-regional forces can change this situation for the better."

Help PMC "Wagner"

The request for Wagner mercenaries came during a visit by coup leader General Salif Modi to neighboring Mali, where he came into contact with someone from the Wagner group, said Wassim Nasr, a journalist and senior researcher at the Soufan Center. He said three Malian sources and a French diplomat confirmed the meeting.

“They need the Wagner PMC because it will be their guarantee of keeping power,” Nasr said, noting that the group was considering the request.

A Western military official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to comment, confirmed reports that the junta has turned to the Wagnerites in Mali for help.

The Nigerian junta is on the brink of an August 6 ECOWAS deadline to release and reinstate democratically elected President Mohamed Bazum.

ECOWAS defense chiefs finalized an intervention plan on August 4 and called on the military to prepare resources when a mediation team sent to Niger on August 3 was not allowed to enter the city or meet with junta leader General Abdurahman Chiani.

After his visit to Mali, Modi warned against military intervention and promised that Niger would do everything possible to avoid becoming the "new Libya".

Niger is seen as the West's last reliable partner in the fight against terrorism in a region that has seen frequent coups in recent years. The juntas rejected French help and turned to Russia. Wagner operates in several African countries, including Mali, where human rights groups have accused PMC forces of deadly violations.

It cannot be said that the Russian Federation was directly involved in the coup in Niger, but, as Anne-Claire Legendre, a spokeswoman for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said, “it is clear that there is an opportunistic position on the part of Russia, which is trying to support destabilization efforts wherever it finds."

For days after the Niger junta seized power, residents waved Russian flags in the streets.

The press secretary called PMC Wagner a "recipe for chaos."

Some residents reject the junta's claims.

“It’s all a sham,” said Amad Hassan Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey. — They oppose foreign interference in the restoration of constitutional order and legality. On the contrary, they are ready to conclude an agreement with the Wagner group and Russia in order to undermine the constitutional order. They are ready for the country to burn so they can illegally maintain their position.”

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna believes the regional threat of force is plausible and has warned putschists to take it seriously.

“Coups are no longer appropriate. It's time to put an end to this, ”she is convinced.

The ministry said France was "firmly and resolutely" supporting ECOWAS efforts and called for the release of Bazum, as well as all members of his government.

Niger's military leaders have followed the pattern of Mali and neighboring Burkina Faso, also ruled by the junta, but they are moving faster towards consolidating power, Nasr said: ".

According to him, everything depends on how the international community reacts if the Wagner PMC comes. When the group arrived in Mali at the end of 2021, the French military was driven out shortly after years of partnership. Over time, the United States recognized this military formation as a terrorist organization, and now, Nasr is convinced, international partners can react more harshly.

Needless to say, much more is at stake in Niger, where the US and other partners have provided hundreds of millions of dollars of military aid to combat the growing threat of jihad in the region. France has 1500 troops in Niger, although coup leaders say they have broken security agreements with Paris, while the US only has 1100 troops there.

It is not clear what the regional intervention will look like when it starts, and whether it will receive support from Western forces. The Niger Junta urged the population to watch out for spies, and self-organized defense groups mobilized at night to monitor vehicles and patrol the capital.

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“If the junta persists and rallies the population around itself (perhaps even arms civilian militias), the intervention could turn into a multi-faceted counterinsurgency that ECOWAS is not prepared to handle,” the Hudson Institute report says.

As some in Niger prepare for battle, others struggle to cope with the transport and economic sanctions imposed by ECOWAS after the coup. These sanctions closed land and air borders with ECOWAS countries and suspended commercial and financial transactions with them.

Residents say commodity prices are rising and access to cash is limited.

“We are deeply concerned about the impact of these sanctions, especially their impact on the supply of essential food, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, petroleum products and electricity,” said Sita Adamu, president of the Nigerian Human Rights Association.

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