Coup in Niger: Part of the NATO-Russia War?

 You have probably already heard of the coup in Niger. If not, this Red State article sums up the basic points: "Coup in Niger Brings Imminent Threat of War and Foreign Military Intervention." 

    The Niger military announced Wednesday [of last week] that it had ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and taken power. The coup was led by the head of the Presidential Guard, General Abdourahamane Tchiani. Bazoum, popularly elected in 2021, has seen the shine wear off as drought, corruption, economic malaise, and an intractable war with the Islamic State in the Greater Sahara combined into a perfect storm of disillusionment. He remains under detention in the capital Niamey.

    Thursday, the removal of Bazoum and the installation of a new military government became formal as Tchiani announced he was the new president and the chief of the Niger Armed Forces, General Abdou Sidikou Issa, confirmed the military supported the coup.

    The coup in Niger accentuates the political stability of the Sahel. It is the sixth military coup in that region in the last year-and-a-half. Previously, elected governments in  Burkina Faso, Sudan, Guinea, Chad, and Mali had fallen.

Of course, our military and intelligence agencies did their normal bang-up job of selecting and training men that we could trust: "US Spent Years Funding And Training The African Military That Just Overthrew Its US-Backed Gov’t." While the NATO-Russian war disrupted energy supplies to Germany and most of our other European allies, at least France had its nuclear power plants: "The coup in Niger has prompted concerns the West African country could curtail uranium exports, possibly hamstringing nuclear power production in France and beyond."

    But Docent, you ask, how could this be related to the NATO-Russia war? Well, a couple things that caught my attention: First, look at the other countries in the same region that have fallen to coups in the last year and a half. The Red State article has a helpful map:

When I saw the map, above, it caught my attention because it mirrored areas in which the Wagner Group has been active in Africa, as explained in the video below:

VIDEO: "Russia secretly in war in Africa"

CaspianReport (15 min.)

In other words, while the CIA and National Security Council thought it was playing checkers in Ukraine, Russia has been playing chess across the globe. This BBC article--"Niger coup: Why some people want Russia in and France out"--relates the results of Russia's long game in the region:

    In a sign of growing hostility towards the West since the coup in Niger, a businessman proudly shows off his outfit in the colours of the Russian flag in the traditional heartland of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.

    Since the coup, there has been a war of words between the military and the West.

    Mr Bazoum was a staunch ally of the West in the fight against militant Islamists, and was a strong economic partner as well.

    Niger hosts a French military base and is the world's seventh biggest producer of uranium. The fuel is vital for nuclear power with a quarter of it going to Europe, especially former colonial power France.

    Since General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew the president in a coup on 26 July, Russian colours have suddenly appeared on the streets.

    Thousands took part in a protest in the capital Niamey on Sunday, with some waving Russian flags and even attacking the French embassy.

    It now seems this "movement" is spreading across the country.

    The businessman, based 800km (500 miles) away in the central city of Zinder, didn't want to give his name for safety reasons and asked that we blur his face.

    "I'm pro-Russian and I don't like France," he said. "Since childhood, I've been opposed to France.

    "They've exploited all the riches of my country such as uranium, petrol and gold. The poorest Nigeriens are unable to eat three times a day because of France."

    The businessman said thousands had taken part in Monday's protest in Zinder in support of the military takeover.

    He said he had asked a local tailor to take material in the Russian colours of white, blue and red and make an outfit for him, denying that it had been paid for by pro-Russian groups.

The article continues:

    President Bazoum entered office in 2021 in Niger's first democratic and peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960.

    But his government was a target for Islamist militants linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda who roam across parts of the Sahara Desert and the semi-arid Sahel just to the south.

    Under pressure from the Islamists, the armies in both neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, also former French colonies with considerable French interests, seized power in recent years, saying this would help in the fight against jihadists.

    Like Niger, both these countries previously had significant numbers of French troops helping them but as the Islamist attacks continued, anti-French sentiment rose across the region, with people in all three countries starting to accuse the French of not doing enough to stop them.

    Once in power, the junta in Mali welcomed Russia's mercenary Wagner Group as they first forced out French troops and then pushed for thousands of UN peacekeepers to leave.

    Although Islamist attacks have continued in Mali, Burkina Faso's junta has also grown close to Russia and expelled hundreds of French forces. 

So, in answer to the question in my title: yes, it is part of the larger NATO-Russian conflict, but apparently our intelligence and military agencies and political leadership just didn't know it. Too busy chasing down Trump supporters and keeping the public from knowing about the Biden family corruption.