Wassim Nasra, a senior fellow at the Soufan Center, said the request came during a visit by one of the leaders of the coup, General Salif Modi, to neighboring Mali, where he came into contact with someone from Wagner.
According to him, three Malian sources and a French diplomat confirmed the meeting.
“They need[Wagner PMC]because he will be their guarantee of holding power,” he said, adding that the group is considering this request.
A Western military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had also heard reports that the junta had turned to Wagner PMCs in Mali for help.
Coup in Niger
On July 26, members of the Niger Presidential Guard effectively took President Mohammed Bazum hostage, blocking access to his residence. They later claimed to have overthrown the government of President Mohammed Bazum, closed borders and imposed a curfew.
Two days later, the head of the presidential guard, Abdurrahman Chiani, named himself the new leader of Niger. He was linked to the 2015 coup attempt against the former president.
A few days later, on August 4, West African defense leaders announced that they had developed a plan for a possible military intervention in Niger.
At the same time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu asked Parliament to approve the mobilization of the Armed Forces for a possible intervention in Niger.
Read about the coup in Niger and how it can affect the situation in the region in the article RBC-Ukraine.
Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.
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2023-08-05 20:01:17
