By Massimiliano D'Elia
The Americans have long stopped aid to Niger following the coup d'état last July by paramilitary militias. Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, the only civilian remaining in power among the military of the self-proclaimed junta, met his US counterpart two days ago to formalize the request to leave the country. The break with the US administration was caused, according to the WP, by the agreements signed by the coup plotters with the Kremlin and by the relations established with Iran for the sale of uranium.
In the last month the population has often taken to the streets in protest against the Americans, recalling the same scenes when they called for the departure of the French. The Americans will therefore interrupt aerial surveillance operations from the Agadez base which cost 100 million dollars and which will remain owned by the Nigerians. The American presence in the heart of the Sahel constituted the last important "Western" bastion in the fight against jihadism which, for some time, has launched a heavy offensive against the countries of the central area to subjugate governments and populations.
Faced with an evident Western disinterest in African issues, foreign actors have taken advantage of helping the coup plotters to take power (weapons and training) and fight the jihadists. Russia directly with military aid and China indirectly with its global "state" companies are, in fact, conquering Africa where there are large deposits, partly still unexplored, of first-rate mineral resources such as rare earths, gold , cobalt, lithium etc. Resources that make the difference in the field of materials considered indispensable for the production of Hi-Tech which the West itself can no longer do without.
First with the private company Wagner, now from 12 April with the Africa Corps military unit, included in the regular army of the Russian Ministry of Defense, Moscow continues its painstaking work of conquering important slices of influence on the Black Continent. A strategy that will allow it to continue with hybrid warfare, widely included in its modern military doctrine. Officially, the Russian contingent is responsible for training the Nigeriens in the use of anti-aircraft weapons purchased from Moscow.
Managing the flow of migration from the Sahel towards Europe, or monopolizing important deposits of precious minerals and implementing energy blackmail operations are only part of an absolute power that in the long run could really reverse the world order from the traditional Western traction to that emerging countries of the Global South. The countries that are coalescing around the new identity term "Global South" include Africa, Latin America, Central America, India, South-East Asia and many countries in the Middle and Far East. Recently, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) have also identified themselves in this nascent group which brings together, in fact, 80% of the world population.
However, it is believed that Russia's new military contingent in Africa is likely to remain limited in the coming months as it faces recruitment problems due to the war in Ukraine. However, this limited presence will allow Russia to strengthen its influence in Niger and consolidate its logistics network in Africa without significantly influencing the growing insurgencies of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
In Niger the only Western troops accepted and welcomed are the Italian ones. In fact, a few weeks ago the Meloni government resumed collaboration with the Nigerian armed forces after the events of last July's coup. All other contingents, including the French, the two EU missions and now the US personnel, have been expelled by the coup plotters.
The Americans are thinking of moving the Agadez base to Benin, Ivory Coast or Ghana even if doing so would distance the surveillance area from the most active terrorist areas.
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