Translated material
Zaurane
How far will the Kremlin influence on the 26-million Niger spread, and what does the Iranian nuclear program and Ukraine have to do with it
Omar Turey, President of the Ekovas commission (left), President of Ghana Nana Akufo Addo (in the center) and Foreign Minister Nigeria Yusuf Tuggar before the Ekovas meeting. Photo: AP / TASS
The Russian authorities have achieved “new successes” in cooperation with the military jows of Africa. Last Friday, the ruling regimes of Niger, Mali and Burkina-Faso announced that they “finalized the project” of their association into the Alliance of the Sachel Alliance (AES). Against this background, the ruling putticists of Niger expel the American military contingent from the country - after the French, which was forced to leave at the end of last year. The key in the issue of putting the Americans out the door was a scandal with the possible sale of Niger Uranus Iran. What, according to Le Monde sources, can contribute to the “new patron” of Niger - Moscow. The decision, which, according to the sources, is probably “should be linked with the agreements concluded between Moscow and Tehran for hostilities in Ukraine”.
Alliance of the Sahel states: Putchists against the "colonialists"
But first - about the union of pro -Russian junta.
According to the France-Presse agency, the AES “finalizing project” of AES was announced according to the results of May 17 in the Nigerian capital Niamey Meetings of “Foreign Ministers” Mali, Burkina-Faso and Niger. The parties reported that the "leaders of the countries" would sign an agreement on their “closest summit”.
The Alliance of the Sahel states is a new military-political and economic association, which is created by the authorities of the 26-millionth Niger, 22 millionth Burkina-Faso and 22 millionth Mali as an “alternative” for half a century of the largest regional organization Ekovas.
Three countries announced the “final and irrevocable” output from the economic community of West Africa at the end of January, referring to the fact that France “uses for its own purposes”. In addition, Ekovas turned out to be “guilty” in that the sanctions were imposed* against all three regimes that were established as a result of military coups (in May 2021-in Mali, in September 2022-in Burkina-Faso, in July 2023- in Niger ), and in addition, in the first weeks after the Nigersky trunk threatened the possibility of introducing troops to return to a legal place to return to a legal place The overthrow of the president.
In each of the three countries, immediately after coming to power, the putschers made a demand to withdraw the French troops, which official Paris directly accused Moscow. The correctness of the charges was repeatedly confirmed by the facts, starting from the arrival of Russian instructors and “military equipment” and ending with massive propaganda support for the arrival of “Russian brothers” instead of “French colonialists”.
Uninvited "guests" on the American base
Now in Niger, the Americans are indicatively replaced. On May 2, the “senior representative of the US Department of Defense” told Reuters that the Russian military arrived at the 101 air base in Niamei (located next to the Amani Diori International Airport) - despite the fact that the American army had not yet left.
The “high -ranking representative” at the same time noted that although “the situation is not very good”, but “in the short term - controlled”.
The head of the Pentagon Lloyd Austin, who was asked a question on the same day at a press conference in Honolulu, also made a “sedative” statement. He said: “The Russians are in a separate site and do not have access to American troops or our equipment ... I am always focused on the security and security of our military ... But right now I do not see a significant problem here from the point of view of protecting our armed forces.”
The Americans, despite the fact that immediately after the coup, the French were expelled from the country (the final conclusion of their contingent of 1,500 people took place at the end of December 2023, then the French embassy was closed), tried until the last to “bring bridges” with the putschists and save their bases. Despite the fact that immediately after the coup announced the “suspension of military cooperation” with Niger.
Then they transferred part of their forces from the metropolitan air base 101 (the southwest of the country, near Burkina Faso and not far from Mali) to the AGADA air base in the city of Agadates (the central part of the Niger). According to Reuters, this air base cost more than 100 million dollars since 2018 has been used by the Americans to strike unmanned vehicles on the militants of several sadnesses in the whole world terrorist groups. From this base, American drones and planes could fly over the territory of Niger to the borders of Libya, Chad, Nigeria and Mali (“countries with disabilities of air surveillance”, where “jihadian groups, drug trafficking, drugs and people” flourish, ”France-Presse notes).
The French, by the way, for more than eight years (2014-November 2022) spent in the countries of Sahel (Mali, Niger, Burkina-Faso, Chade and Mauritania) the anti-terrorist operation "Barkhan", during which they interacted a lot with the Americans.
Despite the fact that the operation was far from perfect, it is difficult to imagine that after the departure of the French and Americans, several hundred (or even thousands of, unlikely) Russians will be able to effectively fight terrorism in the giant region of Africa - even if they had such a task.
But, obviously, neither the French nor the Americans could make the Niger, Mali and Burkini captains and colonels (instantly becoming presidents and ministers) of proposals that would outweigh their cooperation with Moscow - starting with their personal protection and financial infusions into their pockets and ending with “political support”:
The Kremlin, unlike the Champs Elysees and the White House, did not declare the illegality of their power and did not require the speedy democratic elections (in all three countries) or the liberation (in the nichera) due to the arrest of the legally elected President Mohamed Bazum.
Uranus, Washington and Tehran
According to Reuters sources, the Niger regime demanded the departure of the American contingent immediately after in mid -March “senior US officials expressed concern about the expected arrival of Russian troops and reports that Iran is looking for raw materials in the country, including Uranus” (for its nuclear program).
As noted by Le Monde , in Washington and Paris, "this business is being watched, as for boiling milk." According to the French edition of Africa Intelligence , Hunt Niger, despite the constant denials, continues “confidential negotiations” with Iran “On the supply of 300 tons” of the “yellow pie” (uranium concentrate), the cost of which is estimated at 52 million euros (a penny by the standards of Moscow and Tehran, but impressive money for Niamey).
This uranium is reported on mines operated since 1971 by the French company Orano Group in Arlith (North Niger). Being a shareholder of 36.6%, the Niger state “autonomously sells its share of products”, explained to the newspaper in Orano Group, assuring that neither the Niger regime nor Tehran “did not apply” to them on the issue of such a transaction. The company also assured that "strictly complies with international sanctions that prohibit any sale of Uranus to Iran."
Information about the negotiations was confirmed by “several official Western and Niger sources” Le Monde. According to the newspaper, "in the first quarter of 2024" The evidence of such negotiations was obtained by the US intelligence services. Perhaps these evidence were given during the above-mentioned American-Niger negotiations on March 12–14 in Niamea, which was headed by the assistant to the Secretary of State of Africa Mary Katherine Fi. According to the Le Monde source, she offered the junta to the resumption of “suspended” after the coup of military cooperation and the possibility of increasing assistance from Washington - but only if the Nigerians “give guarantees” that they will not supply Uranians and, at least, “will not place Russian mercenaries in the same territory as the American military.” Reuters also reported the same information, it is more expanded: “According to the official, although the US message to the officials of Niger was not an ultimatum, it was clearly made that American troops could not be at the same base with Russian troops. “They (the Nigerians) took it very well,” the official said.
AFP clarifies that Mary Katherine Fi "threatened Niger with sanctions if he signed a trade agreement with Iran."
The information was confirmed by the “Prime Minister” by Niger Ali Lamin Zeyn in an interview with Washington Post last week.
As a result, after a couple of days, on March 16, the regime denounced an agreement on military cooperation with the United States, saying that it was “imposed on” Washington “unilaterally” and that the American presence is now “illegal” in the nichera. And besides, the official representative of the junta (the so -called “National Council for the Protection of the Motherland”), Colonel Abdraman said that the Americans who “have drones and other complex devices” refused to share “information about the movements of the terrorists” with the “authorities” of Niger.
Hamid Amadu Ngada, an adviser to public relations between the arrested President Mohamed Bazum , condemned this decision as "ungrateful, irresponsible and incompetent." According to him, the US assistance, on the contrary, was "decisive." The Americans helped the Niger military, providing them with equipment for many years, teaching special forces, creating a modern intelligence center. (American drones supported the Nigerian army in the fight against jihadist groups in the south-east of the country, not far from Nigeria, AFP also notes.)
According to NGADA, after the departure of the Americans, the ruling Junta will be forced to send their soldiers “to a slaughter” with the jihadists.
No later than April, the first Russian “instructors” arrived at the Netherian military, and in addition, the junta received a batch of Russian military equipment as part of a new security cooperation agreement signed in January with Moscow. The Russian Federation “Osnast” Niger and “set the air defense system”, capable of “ensuring full control over our airspace,” said Niger television.
According to Le Monde, on April 10, “a hundred Russian paramilitarians from the“ African corps ”( he is considered a“ successor ”of the Wagner PMC . - Yu. S. ) landed in Niamea.”
Before that, at the end of March, the head of the Niger Junta, General Abdurakhman Tchiana, talked on the phone with Putin to discuss "Strengthening Cooperation in the field of security." As a sign of the “importance” of this conversation for the Nigerian junta, he took place in the presence of several “ministers” and “head of government”, which visited Moscow in mid -January, noted RFI.
Uranus, Moscow and Tehran
The unnamed “Advisor to the Niger Government” in his comment, Le Monde sharply denied the latest statements from Washington that the agreement with Tehran was already concluded. And he accused the Americans "of rude lies." But he stated that the Iranians really “wanted to sign a contract for the purchase of 300 tons of uranium” during a visit to Niamei at the end of February, Deputy Foreign Minister Iran Mahdi Safari.
“Uranus is not peanuts! Since we are connected by other contracts, we refused. We simply did not have available reserves for the sale of them, ”the adviser assured, while scaring that“ the situation could change quickly. ”
Niger Ali Lamin Zeyn also stated the “prime minister” that “absolutely nothing” was signed with Iran, adding that if the deal was concluded, then “not under the table, but before the cameras”.
If nothing is really signed, then negotiations with Tehran can be for the Niger junta a way to try to achieve more favorable conditions from the West both in the trade in uranium and in providing various types of assistance. For Niger, Uranus is the main source of export revenue, and the country has repeatedly used such blackmail to fill the price of goods, notes Le Monde. “During a sharp increase in ore prices in the early 2000s, President Mamada Tanja raised bets with France, implying that he could allocate deposits of Iran-in order to revise prices with Paris. It worked, ”recalls in a conversation with Le Monde Emmanuel Greguar, expert of the French State Research Institute of Development (IRD).
Today, the “Niger Government Advisor” mentioned above says: “Iran and Russia are interested ( in conclusion of the transaction. - Yu. S. ), even if nothing has been signed.”
In January, the Nigerian “Premiere” was received first in Moscow in January, and then in Tehran - where he met with the Iranian President of Raisisi.
According to the “several official Western sources” of the Le Monde newspaper, “Russia was facilitated by the leading shadow negotiations on Uranus”. Although the volume that was discussed will “not affect” the development of Iran’s nuclear program, “from a geopolitical point of view, the existence of these negotiations is a very important event”, which “is undoubtedly connected with the agreements between Moscow and Tehran on the support of hostilities in Ukraine,” said the “official French source”. According to several experts, the provision of access to the Niger Uranus may become “tangible remuneration” to the Iranians for the supply of weapons, including the infamous Shakads.
Last news. Washington and Hunt Niger: Does cooperation continue?
From May 15 to May 19, a high -ranking American delegation was again in Niger, who arrived to discuss the conditions for the withdrawal of its contingent. The negotiation groups were headed by the Deputy Minister of Defense of the United States for special operations and low intensity conflicts Christopher Mayer and the chief of staff of the Ground Forces of Niger Niger Senior Colonel Maman Sanya Kiau.
On May 19, according to the results of the negotiations, a statement was published, which states that the parties “reached an agreement”. According to his conditions, the withdrawal of American troops, "which has already begun", should end "no later than September 15, 2024."
At the same time, the Americans, in spite of everything, decided not to slam the door. The statement emphasizes that “the withdrawal of American troops from Niger does not affect the continuation of American-niger relations in the field of development”; "The United States and Niger are obligated to conduct a constant diplomatic dialogue to determine the future bilateral relations."
According to the Niger Foreign Ministry (which refers to AFP), the country's cooperation with the United States in the field of help should be continued as part of a new three -year agreement in the amount of almost $ 500 million.
In an interview with Washington Post, Mr. Zeyn, Prime Minister of Niger last week, said that although Niamey demanded the withdrawal of American troops, his “government” wants to continue economic and diplomatic relations with the United States, “not a single nigert considers the United States the enemy.” “If American investors came, we would give them what they want,” he said, addressing the officials of the State Department: “We have Uranus.” We have oil. We have lithium. Come, invest. This is all that we want. ”
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In early May, the human rights organization of the International Rescue Committee (IRC) stated that 7.5 million people (that is, more than 10% of the population) suffer from the Countries of Central Sahel (Niger, Mali, Burkina-Faso).
The fact that now Russia is the main “patron” of these countries will not necessarily mean that their population will become more well -fed, but obviously will make the living conditions of the Russian “curators” of Africa and their wards of putty patchists. On May 4, the official agency of RIA Novosti announced the arrival of an “plane with a humanitarian cargo from Russia” in the Niame. And “ironically” noted, referring to the Niger “source in the power structures”: while Russia extended a helping hand and brought the necessary products, ”“ Americans pack their suitcases and are preparing to leave Niger ”. It emphasized: "The transfer of humanitarian aid took place in front of the walls of the military base on which the American military are located."