Niger Coup: Condemned by West and Kremlin, Hailed by Prigozhin

Last week, a military junta in Niger announced it captured the country’s elected President Mohamed Bazoum, and removed his government from power over national security and corruption concerns.

The Details: Niger, which was under French rule until 1960, experienced its first democratic peaceful transfer of power when Bazoum took office in 2021. It has maintained close ties with the West, primarily France, whose troops stationed in Niger helped execute counterinsurgency operations against jihadists. On Sunday, protesters marched through the capital, reportedly waving Russian flags and setting fires outside the French embassy. 

For Context: Niger is one of the world’s largest producers of Uranium, supplying the European Union with 25% of its stock. It is also a staging ground for Western counterterrorism operations within Africa. The unrest highlights divides between Russian and Western powers as sources of influence in developing countries.

Reactions From Power: The Biden Administration threatened to cut military ties with Niger if the coup continues, and France halted financial aid. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov condemned the coup as “an anti-constitutional act.” Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin hailed it as a victory against Western colonialism and reportedly said Wagner can help “establish order and destroy terrorists.”

How The Media Covered It: As is common for international stories, the events were covered more by left-rated sources. Washington Examiner (Lean Right bias) included context from an interview Lavrov gave Channel One Russia, where he critiqued Western powers for condemning the coup in Niger, but not the events in Ukraine in 2014.