Russia’s Wagner taking advantage of Niger coup instability US Secretary of State say worldwidenews10

Russia’s Wagner taking advantage of Niger coup instability US Secretary of State says worldwidenews10

Russia's Wagner mercenary group is "taking advantage" of instability in Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the worldwidenews10

The country has been ruled by a junta following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum nearly two weeks ago.

There have been suggestions the coup leaders have asked for help from Wagner, which is known to be present in neighbouring Mali.

Mr Blinken said he did not think Russia or Wagner instigated Niger's coup.

Russia’s Wagner taking advantage of Niger coup instability, US Secretary of State says

The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has accused Russia’s Wagner mercenary group of “taking advantage” of the political crisis in Niger, where a military junta has seized power from the elected president Mohamed Bazoum. In an interview with the worldwidenews10 Focus on Africa programme, Mr Blinken said he did not think Russia or Wagner instigated the coup, but they “tried to take advantage of it”

Wagner is a private military company that is widely believed to be linked to the Kremlin and has been involved in conflicts and business deals in several African countries, including Mali, the Central African Republic (CAR), Libya and Sudan. The group’s fighters have been accused of committing human rights violations and atrocities against civilians

Mr Blinken said the US was concerned about Wagner’s presence and activities in the Sahel region, where Niger and its neighbours are facing security threats from Islamist militants and ethnic violence. He said Wagner had brought “nothing but bad things” in its wake and increased insecurity wherever it went

The US diplomat also urged the junta leaders in Niger to restore constitutional order and release President Bazoum, who was detained on July 26 after a failed assassination attempt. He said the US had held “difficult and frank” talks with the coup plotters and warned them of the risks of working with Wagner
Mr Bazoum, who is still in captivity, has also expressed his fears about Wagner’s influence in Africa. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post published last week, he wrote that the entire central Sahel region could fall to Russian influence via Wagner, whose “brutal terrorism” had been on display in Ukraine

It is unclear if Wagner fighters have entered Niger, but a Telegram channel affiliated with the group said on Monday that some 1,500 of its fighters had recently been sent to Africa. It did not specify where on the continent they had allegedly been deployed

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