Reliable sources indicate that the military junta that is now in control of the west African country has sought military assistance from Russia’s Wagner mercenaries.
This was supposedly to preempt the likelihood of a military intervention that was earlier suggested by ECOWAS which is a regional bloc that is now headed by the newly elected Nigerian President Tinubu.
Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin who openly supported the coup at its initial onset has also reportedly communicated to the junta leaders via an audio clip sent through telegram.
In the clip, Prigozhin is heard praising the junta leaders and assuring them of their(Wagner’s) support.
It is not yet clear whether the mercenary unit has boots on the ground in Niger.
The democratically elected president of Niger, Mr. Mohamed Bazoum, who was deposed by the military and is now under what is believed to be a ‘house arrest’ warned of the danger posed by the Wagner mercenaries to the entire region.
Mr. Bazoum wrote this in an op-ed article published on the New York Times paper cited neighbouring Mali and Central African Republic as the reason why more actions need to be taken by regional bodies such as the ECOWAS to bring the situation under control.
He has also called on international partners such as France to take a more proactive approach to stem Russian influence in the region.
However, Wagner has a substantial number of troops in the neighbouring Mali, which is also under military rule.
A telegram channel,Grey Zone, that is known to be affiliated with Wagner has also announced recent deployment of about 1500 Wagner personel to Africa although it didn’t specify to which country they were precisely deployed.
Thousands gathered in a 30,000 capacity main stadium in Niamey, Niger to support the military coup, ahead of the deadline for junta to step down.
ECOWAS threatened military action if ousted President Mohamed Bazoum was not reinstated although that’s not supported by all its members.
Share This Post
