A day after the coup in Niger that saw President Mohamed Bazoum being removed from power by a group of soldiers, reports have emerged linking Russian mercenary group Wagner to the rebellion.
Though there is no palpable evidence that suggest Russia may be involved, the sighting of Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin in St Petersburg during the Africa-Russia summit and a voice clip, purportedly from Prigozhin claiming credit for the coup, have stoked rumours.
Interestingly, the removal of the 64-year-old leader of Niger, a close ally of West in Africa’s Sahel region, will threaten US influence and plans to fight Islamist militants in Africa. It will also give Russia an advantage, said analysts.
Both the US and France, the former colonial power, have military bases in Niger. The country is also one of the last Sahel nations which isn't close to Russia.
Prigozhin's voice clip comes amid this blow. "What happened is the struggle of the people of Niger against the colonialists," Prigozhin said in a voice message posted in a Wagner-branded Telegram channel. "This is actually gaining independence and getting rid of the colonialists. This shows the effectiveness of Wagner," Prigozhin continued. "A thousand Wagner fighters are able to restore order and destroy terrorists, preventing them from harming the civilian population of states."
Soon after came the picture showing Prigozhin shaking hands with Ambassador Freddy Mapouka, a senior official in the Central African Republic (CAR) on the sidelines of a Russia-Africa summit. According to the BBC, the image was posted on Facebook by Dmitri Syty, who reportedly manages Wagner's operations in CAR. This is also the first confirmed sighting of Prigozhin in Russia since Wagner's failed mutiny in June.
That said, it is unclear what will happen to the U.S. operational sites and the over 1,100 U.S. personnel in the country. "It is too soon to speculate on any potential future actions or activities,” a spokesman with the U.S. Africa Command, John Manley, told AP.
Niger borders Mali and Libya, where Wagner have their largest numbers of fighters. It also borders Burkina-Faso, where Wagner is trying to build a presence.