Niger is essential to stem the migratory flows towards Europe and for this reason every political, diplomatic but also military effort, through assistance and training, is crucial in order not to lose the last outpost, of Western circulation, in the middle of the Sahel
By Massimiliano D'Elia
Russia, despite the military campaign in Ukraine, does not lose sight of its strategic objectives at a global level towards the countries of the South of the World, with a "particular eye" on Africa. In the Sahel, Mali and Burkina Faso are already completely subservient to Putin's flattery. Not only Russia but also China e Iran they play a role first player in Black Continent. While China has chosen to build roads, hospitals, schools and government buildings in exchange for thirty-year concessions on deposits of precious minerals and rare earths (soft power), Russia provides weapons and military training, supporting the coup troops in fighting the spiral jihadi which threatens the self-proclaimed governments of military juntas. In return, Moscow is aiming for gold and lithium deposits to finance the war in Ukraine, but above all for passages in the sub-Saharan desert to manage the flow of migrants towards Europe, as an integral part of its global hybrid war, tending to destabilize within Western societies.
In the face of an apparently already marked scenario, an important geographical hub to control the resurgence jihadi and migratory flows is made up of Niger. A country that has suffered yet another coup d'état but is still under a sort of pseudo Western influence, despite the sudden expulsion of the French. There is still an American base dedicated to logistics and control, by means of drones, of the territory and the Italian Misin mission with purely military training purposes.
The news of a top secret mission spread across Italian newspapers, which later turned out to be not so secret since the Nigerian authorities "publicized" the confidential meetings complete with photographs on online media e social networks.
The head of the military junta, general Abdourahamane Tiani he was immortalized while holding talks with the Italian general John Caravelli, director of the External Information and Security Agency – AISE. General Caravelli's visit to Niamey follows that of the ambassador at the beginning of the month Richard Guariglia, secretary general of the Farnesina, and of the general Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, head of the Joint Forces Operational Command - Covi.
Italy has been following the Niger case since the coup occurred on 26 July. There were two currents of thought in Europe: the French, ousted, pushed to favor a military intervention by some countries of the African Union, while Italy, Germany and the high representative of the EU, Josep Borrel, chose the line of dialogue in order to prevent the African country from falling irreparably under the influence of Russia and China. The Iranian Republic which offered the military junta different forms of assistance, still not very clear and not yet made public.
Niger therefore becomes essential to stem migratory flows towards Europe and for this reason every political, diplomatic but also military effort, through assistance and training, is crucial in order not to lose the last Western outpost in the middle of the Sahel. Italy is also apparently convincing the Nigerian government to reconsider the idea of permanently removing the Americans from the country.
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