If head counting is any indication, Russian diplomacy in Africa is slipping. A Russia-Africa summit meeting held in St. Petersburg drew only 21 African heads of state, far fewer than in 2019 when the summit attracted 45 heads of state. (By contrast, 50 attended Pres. Biden’s Africa summit last December.) The reason for the low participation may be Vladimir Putin’s withdrawal from the grain deal with Ukraine, which is causing a major price increase throughout Africa. Putin is now promising free grain to several African countries over the next four months.
As the summit unfolded, yet another coup took place in West Africa, the seventh since 2020. The democratically elected president of Niger was overthrown; a general has been installed as head of state, and opposition politicians have been arrested. In recent years coups have also occurred in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Chad, and Sudan. Niger, formerly a French colony, is particularly important for the US as a military partner in counter-terrorism activities. The US operates a drone base there and deploys over one thousand troops in Niger. Niger is also one of the world’s leading exporters of uranium, with the French nuclear industry a main customer.
The coup leadership’s political leanings are unclear but suspect. The African Union has condemned the coup; the West African economic bloc ECOWAS is demanding that the president be reinstated, and has even threatened military intervention; and the US State Department—well, it called for democracy to be restored, but chose not to call the coup a coup so as to leave open a legal avenue for continuing military cooperation with the coup regime.
Coup politics in Africa has become a Russian specialty, and we may yet find that Russia’s Wagner mercenary group, which commands roughly 1000 soldiers, will be operating in Niger. Wagner has supported coups in three of the other countries mentioned. Guess who attended the St. Petersburg summit? Yevgeny Prigozhin, Wagner’s leader whose mutiny turned Moscow upside down. Perhaps his presence was part of the deal he struck with Putin to stop his rebellion. Prigozhin reportedly hailed the Niger coup for overthrowing colonialism, meaning a pro-Western leader; and he offered his troops to help reestablish order, meaning repression of the new regime’s opponents (https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exiled-russian-mercenary-boss-prigozhin-hails-niger-coup-touts-services-2023-07-28/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Weekend-Briefing&utm_term=072923).
The great tragedy here is twofold. First, military rule is snuffing out democratic options throughout West Africa. Niger’s overthrown government was the country’s first experiment with democracy. The generals who rule now don’t show any sign of interest in that experiment. Second, the great needs in West Africa are finding the resources to address poverty, illiteracy, and desertification south of the Sahara. Aligning with Russia will not help solve those problems. To the contrary, if the Wagner group has the kind of influence with Niger’s coup regime that it has with others, expect repression of human rights and abuse of government resources to keep the military in power.
In the Human Interest - Mel Gurtov 
Hi Mel:
I LOVE the new format for your blog, which explains your credentials and publications,
and your values, which I share.
No comment hereon Niger, other than itâs an example of the drift to right-wing and
anti-democratic politics, whether by coup or running openly for dictator, as Trump is doing,
summarized by the annual Freedom in the World report.
Impoverished global majority.â Sounds a lot like the UNâs Sustainable Development Goals, at least in
large part. But I have never seen you mention them. But neither does the NY Times or the Economist,
and even The Guardian. Thousands of organizations that my website has identified are pursuing
one or more of the goals without mentioning the SDGs in any way. Why is this? My guess is that the UN doesnât
recognize them, and vice versa. Worthy of a blog?
largely ignored, like the SDGs. What is missing?
and numerous headwinds (e.g. vested interests, right-wing politics, fractured media). Your strategy is for âtranscending differencesâ.
How can we go about this? Worthy of a blog?
Best, Mike
Thanks, Mike; good to hear from you. You’re right: I haven’t mentioned the SDGs in a long time. The last time was https://melgurtov.com/2020/08/02/post-269-falling-behind-covid-climate-change-and-chaos/. One problem is surely that the UN members themselves don’t mention them, probably because precious few are taking steps to implement the goals. And then, with inter-state conflict dominating the news these days, SDGs stand little chance of getting the spotlight. Finally, the climate crisis is so acute and immediate that it dominates everything else, including international meetings. Anyway, I’ll keep your prod in mind; needless to say, I share your concern to uphold the SDGs and work constantly to protect and promote human security.
Charming group photo. Is the seated fellow in the blue uniform the “in charge” guy and an admiral in Niger’s navy? I mean why does he get a chair?
Actually, I believe he’s the junta’s spokesman, so he got to sit and make the coup announcement. The general who has taken over is in the picture to the far left.
This is propaganda the us and its allies are in niger because of resources and strategy why couldnt they invest hundreds of millions in edu and health care instead of military bases the sahel is long an area of big power contestation as for that matter the whole of Africa cf. the progressin industry and infrastructure with postwar aid development with almost no tangible outcome of course the warnnigs were there from Nkrumau to Toure and most recently the BF Sankara
Imagine Jelcine still in the K he would have sold out not just African but your homeland
History History History🙋🏾