Days after the coup in Niger, thousands of people marched in Niamey waving Russian flags and chanting slogans against France and its Western allies.
As President Mohamed Bazoum was placed under military arrest at his residence in Niamey, pro-coup rallies took place in the capital and other parts of Niger. Crowds chanted "Long live Putin" and "Down with France" as they smashed the gates of the French embassy in Niamey.
The images sent shockwaves through the Elysee Palace thousands of miles away. French President Emmanuel Macron threatened retaliation against any attacks on French citizens and condemned the coup as “totally illegal and dangerous” for both Niger and the entire region.
The US and other Western countries have also condemned the coup, while the Economic Community of African States (ECOWAS) has warned of military intervention if Mr Bazoum is not restored to power.
US President Joe Biden called for Mr Bazoum's immediate release, saying Washington "stands with the people of Niger" as the country faces a serious challenge to its democracy.
Nigeriens wave Russian flags and hold signs demanding France leave Africa during a protest in the capital Niamey on August 3. Photo: AFP
The coup in Niger is just the latest in a series of recent political upheavals in Africa. Military governments have taken power in five West and Central African countries in the past three years, all of which were former French colonies.
The coup in Niger has cost the West, especially France and the United States, an important ally in the troubled region. As the largest country in West Africa, Niger is considered a key partner in the fight against Islamist extremists in the Sahel, a belt south of the Sahara desert.
The US has about 1,100 troops stationed in Niger, as well as a drone base to support the Nigerien military in its fight against insurgent groups linked to the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda.
The French military also maintains two permanent bases in the Sahel, one in the capital Niamey. This is the main base for Operation Barkhane, France's counterterrorism initiative targeting insurgents across the Sahel, including in Burkina Faso.
The number of violent incidents involving Islamist extremist groups in the Sahel region has increased sharply since 2021, according to a report released by the Pentagon's Africa Center for Strategic Studies on July 31.
Niger is also the top supplier of uranium to the European Union and accounts for about 5% of global supply, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Despite its wealth of resources, Niger remains one of the poorest countries in the world. Many Nigeriens, especially the younger generation, blame France's policies of exploitation and influence on its former colony for the poverty of the West African nation.
"We want to tell Mr Macron that Niger belongs to us. We can do whatever we want with this country and deal with whoever we want," said Maman Sani, a pro-coup protester.
Location of Niger and the Sahel region. Graphic: AFP
Anti-French sentiment has spread across France's former colonies in West and Central Africa, according to Oluwole Ojewale, an analyst at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in South Africa.
“There is a sense that even though these countries are independent, they are still very much influenced by France,” Ojewale said.
For decades, France has maintained a presence in many of its former African colonies in a special relationship often referred to as Francafrique. This policy is often criticized as maintaining neo-colonial practices, according to CNN analyst Stephanie Busari.
The Central African franc (CFA) has been controversial since it became the currency of 14 West and Central African countries, including Niger. Countries using the CFA are required to keep 50% of their reserves at the Banque de France. While Paris insists the system promotes economic stability, many say it allows France to control the economies of countries using the CFA.
The coup in Niger comes amid a fierce competition between Russia and the West for influence in Africa, where experts say rising anger in former French colonies has left the door open for Moscow. While there is no indication that Russia instigated the coup in Niger, Moscow has sought to exploit anti-Western sentiment in the region in recent years.
"Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Russia has stepped up its efforts to compete for influence and Moscow has almost returned as a geopolitical force in Africa. That worries Western intelligence agencies," said Remi Adekoya, a political scientist at the University of York in the UK.
The Russian private military corporation Wagner is seen as an example of how Russia maintains and develops influence in Africa.
US officials warn that Wagner may seek to exploit the crisis in Niger to increase its operations in Africa. Tycoon Yevgeny Prigozhin supported the coup and offered help to the country's new leader.
"What happened in Niger has been brewing for years. The old colonialists are trying to control the African people by turning these countries into places of terror. That creates a huge security crisis," Prigozhin said.
President Vladimir Putin with African officials at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg on July 28. Photo: Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a summit with African leaders in St. Petersburg last week, where he denounced Western colonialism and offered Africa a range of aid, including debt relief for Somalia, a mobile medical laboratory for Uganda, a presidential helicopter for Zimbabwe’s leader, and a promise of free grain to six African countries.
One of the countries receiving Russian support is Burkina Faso, where Captain Ibrahim Traore seized power in a coup last October. The country has since turned its back on France.
The 34-year-old leader of Burkina Faso is Africa's youngest head of state and one of several military junta leaders at the summit in St. Petersburg, where he pledged to "support and maintain friendship" with Russia.
“We want a multipolar world and a complete change in partners,” Traore said.
Thanh Tam (According to CNN )
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