/ world today news/ The new war in Africa seems to have been postponed. Despite France’s clear desire to intervene forcefully in Niger, its former colony, Paris would have to refuse this. Macron received a slap from not just anyone, but from his closest ally, the United States. Why did Washington short-circuit French imperialism?
It seems that the Gordian knot in Niger will not be untied in the way it was originally intended, and not by those who were cooking up a forceful solution to the problem.
Let’s briefly recall the content of the previous series: the coup in Niger removed from power President Mohamed Bazum, who de facto led a policy beneficial to both the former metropolis – France, and the United States, which have their own geopolitical and, not least, economic interests in this part of the world.
Western military bases under the pretext of fighting terrorism, the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline project, which in the future should bring in billions of dollars, uranium mining in the interest of French companies, the secret CIA base in Dirku, which was once mentioned by the New York Times , where, of course, they do not spare their stomachs in their fight against terrorists. The combination of all these factors makes Niger, a beggar even by African standards, an important cell on the geopolitical game board. And, of course, President Bazum was aware of this.
Obviously, however, he was not the first and not the last leader who, in pursuit of success with the Western masters, lost sight of the situation inside the country. Because when the military threw it out, the populace didn’t express much grief, but on the contrary, enthusiastically welcomed the changes. Yes, they even went to the square with Russian flags.
The reasons lie on the surface: even the Western media leaked information about how beautifully the authorities in Niger live at the expense of their Western allies and what luxurious mansions, for example, representatives of these same authorities have built for themselves in the fashionable district of the capital, which ordinary residents scathingly called “Who steal.” It is clear that a people whose citizens are lucky enough to receive a salary of about 45 euros a month had no love for the estate owners and were delighted to receive the news that their power was over.
However, here the opinion of the people radically diverged from the opinion of the collective West, which invested millions in precisely these corrupt politicians who acted in its interests, bribed and cherished them, and now suddenly it turned out that everything was in vain. In addition, Niger’s neighboring countries – Mali and Burkina Faso – also recently experienced military coups, after which the new governments turned to friendship with Russia, and the French soldiers who were on the territory of their countries were expelled.
After the humiliations in Mali and Burkina Faso, another slap in the face in Niger proved too much even for Macron. Like Bulgakov’s character, he declared that he was registered at 16 arshins and would sit on them no matter what. Translated into French – that the French military will not leave anywhere because the current government of Niger is illegal, not paid by France and therefore impossible to carry out its orders. At the same time, a flywheel of sanctions was launched against Niger – from financial to cutting off the electricity the country receives from neighboring Nigeria.
Meanwhile, France began to urgently withdraw its citizens from Niger, and the regional association ECOWAS issued an ultimatum to the new authorities and made it clear that they would not stop with intervention – of course, only with the aim of restoring democracy to the desired model. Of course, the coincidence of ECOWAS rhetoric with France’s statements is purely coincidental, and in general ECOWAS cares about peace and general prosperity and does not serve Western interests in the region.
Already the French media, which set itself the goal of justifying the impending war in the eyes of the laity, repeated a hundred thousand times the mantra “democratically elected President Bazum” and invoked an article of the law that allows ECOWAS to intervene militarily. Already in the American press appeared a letter signed by the arrested Bazum, in which he calls for help and in fact justifies the upcoming intervention, and his advisor Risa Ag-Boula gave an interview to “Mond”, in which he stated that the president’s supporters are “ready for war”.
“If the constitutional order in Niger is not restored through intervention and if President Bazum is not released, the ECOWAS countries will completely lose their power in Africa and the West will lose the Sahel.” This is extremely serious,” the councilor said.
However, if France quickly decided its position and relied on the upcoming intervention by proxy, the Americans preferred to make a move with the cannon and sent Victoria Newland to Niger for negotiations. After speaking with rebel generals, Newland said the negotiations had proved “complicated” and no further details could be gleaned from them.
However, there are some curious circumstances. In particular, the restraint of American officials and the accurate coverage of the subject in the American media. The main proof that it can be done without intervention, which can turn into a large-scale war in the region, is what the French media write.
The telling headline, “Niger Junta Takes Advantage of France-US Differences,” prefaced the argument that “Washington is taking a less hard line on coup d’etats” and “opposes military intervention by West African countries.”
Furthermore. According to “Le Figaro”, Washington “will establish a dialogue with the coup plotters”, placing “the stability of the region” as its priority. For what the French Foreign Ministry already whispers that “with such friends there is no need for enemies.”
This does not mean that Washington will not support intervention under any circumstances. Events are evolving, and it is quite possible that something (for example, an attack on an American base in Niger) will happen that will force the American authorities to give a definite response. But the difference in approaches is obvious: while Macron’s government threatened and inflamed passions, the Americans preferred to use other mechanisms and mostly tried to find a common language with the winners. Why not, if, for example, they behave correctly with the Americans and promise to consider their interests? And Bazum – one more African president, one less – what’s the difference?
And it is not surprising that France is so nervous: if the Americans in Niger succeed in strengthening their positions, then someone will inevitably have to move. And that someone is primarily France itself with its claims to spheres of influence in Africa that coincide with its former colonies.
The loss of influence is not just a check mark in the geopolitical notebook, it is also business, and control over natural resources, and human resources, and much more. And most importantly: it’s a shame to lose to the enemy – or to the one you currently consider your enemy.
But when your own ally beats you, it’s really bad. It remains an open question how far France is willing to put up with such a situation and whether it will deliberately escalate in the region in order to confuse the cards of the United States. But like any other question, life will surely give an answer to this one too.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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