Many also resent the Western presence in their country, ostensibly to "guarantee order and stability." A study published by LASPAD , analyzing perceptions of security in Niger in 2022, warned that 90% of the Nigerien population did not want their country to become a laboratory "for peacekeeping operations by international officials who in no way came to protect the population but rather increased insecurity." But the country, thanks to Bazoum's close relationship with his Western allies, gradually became a destination for international forces against the will of its people. Unlike Mali in 2013, which requested French assistance to halt the advance of Al-Qaeda, a foreign intervention in Niger now would not have the support of the current military government or of Niger itself.
Cold War in Africa? Russia consolidates its position as a trusted partner in the Sahel
The coup in Niger represents a geopolitical clash on the continent and weakens the Western position vis-à-vis Moscow.
Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina Faso)"We are facing a new cold war in the Sahel, which has become Europe's new geopolitical laboratory," says Beatriz Mesa, researcher and professor at Gaston Berger University. The coup in Niger has shifted the pieces of the game in the international and geopolitical sphere. Two blogs have spoken out and taken a position.
On one hand, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum to Niger's new head of state, General Abdourahamane Tchiani, demanding the immediate release of ousted President Mohamed Bazoum within a week. Otherwise, ECOWAS did not rule out resorting to force. The European Union, the United States, and especially France quickly endorsed ECOWAS's warning. On the other hand, Malian Prime Minister Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga read a televised statement warning ECOWAS that any military intervention in Niger to reinstate President Bazoum would be considered a declaration of war by both Burkina Faso and Mali. Guinea also issued a statement joining the call. All four countries have recently demonstrated their rapprochement with Moscow.
"The Sahel countries are positioning themselves for or against Russia or France," Mesa summarizes. For France, he asserts, losing its influence in Niger poses a danger. since it depends on the uranium it imports from the African countryAs a consequence, Western influence, which has been declining in recent years, is also suffering. For Vladimir Putin, however, it's an opportunity. "Russia is expanding its reach in the Sahel and seeking influence," Mesa points out. Celebrations by groups of young people waving Russian flags after a coup in West Africa are now a common sight. Conversely, they burn French flags and attack establishments owned by Parisian companies.
One thing must be clear: these images are more reminiscent of African emancipation and the rise of anti-colonial sentiment, reinforced by the new military juntas, than of a demand for Russian military intervention on their territory. In other words, the anti-French—and therefore anti-colonial—movement carries more weight than any sympathy for Moscow, which they do, however, see as an option yet to be explored.
Russia is presenting itself in the Sahel as an alternative to the security system proposed by France in 2013, when Mali requested its intervention to curb jihadist terrorism. Thus, in exchange for arms and military support, the Kremlin is seeking new international allies outside the Western bloc to back its intervention in Ukraine and avoid isolation.
Furthermore, the Sahel It is a priority region for the European Union in terms of security.which in 2020 launched the "Coalition for the Sahel" with the aim of "defending the G5 Sahel states and halting the spread of terrorism." Controlling the region is a way to destabilize Europe from far beyond its borders.
"Russia is a weapon to get rid of the enemy"
“Now we have social media and government permission to speak openly; before, if you spoke ill of France, you could be imprisoned,” explains a young Malian man living in Burkina Faso. Now, Burkinabe President Ibrahim Traoré is giving anti-colonial speeches in St. Petersburg during the Second Russia-Africa Summit, and Mali has more than 1,000 Wagner Group troops deployed within its territory.
The paradigm shift is palpable, even on the street. Beyond the French flags burned in demonstrationsThe same young man recounts a rather significant anecdote. "During summer vacation, I went with a group of students from Bamako to Timbuktu by boat. There was a group of French tourists there, and we started arguing. The students said that they had mistreated our ancestors, and the tourists defended themselves by saying that we were no longer in the era of colonization." He continues: "I'm not anti-French, but I am against French policy. Now, Russia is like a weapon we have available to get rid of the enemy."
