An official of the West African bloc of nations says 11 countries in the region have agreed to commit troops to a military deployment aimed at restoring Niger’s democratically elected president following last month’s coup.

Eleven West African nations have agreed to commit troops to a military deployment aimed at restoring Niger’s democratically elected president following last month’s coup, an official for the regional bloc said Friday after a defense ministers meeting.

  • fluxion@lemmy.worldEnglish
    551·
    10 months ago

    Hope they have a swift victory. No democracy is secure when someone can seize power without repercussions.

    • sik0fewl@kbin.social
      9·
      10 months ago

      Unfortunately, Mali and Burkina Faso (other military dictatorships in the area) said they would also get involved and back Niger’s new military regime. If anything happens, it’ll probably escalate into a regional war.

  • eskimofryEnglish
    251·
    10 months ago

    Why did the coup occur? Do the citizens of Niger support the coup?

    • Lysol@lemmy.worldEnglish
      274·
      10 months ago

      It has been reported that the Wagner group (Russia) supported the coup in some way. Russia does have an interest in getting African nations to support them instead of the West, so it would make sense.

      • Skua@kbin.social
        182·
        10 months ago

        I could be wrong because I’m definitely not an expert here, but I don’t think Wagner has been shown to be involved yet. The junta has asked for Wagner’s help and Wagner has been active in several neighbouring countries, so they’re absolutely not a million miles away, but it looks like the actual coup happened without them

      • sirboozebum@lemmy.worldEnglish
        11·
        10 months ago

        While Russia has an interest in weakening the regional power, France, Wagner doesn’t appear to be involved.

        The ousted President was going to fire the chief of the military and the Chief moved first.

        • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafeEnglish
          72·
          10 months ago

          Let me get this right.

          They’re having trouble with Islamic extremists. The president fires the head of the military.

          He then complains he has to launch a coup because of the military situation he has failed to resolve so hard he got fired.

          He then decides, in his infinite wisdom, to suck up to a Nazi state-run PMC, as an African, because he thinks, what, liberal nations won’t ally with military juntas if it makes them money?

          • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
            133·
            10 months ago

            I mean Niger (and other West-African nations) have been exploited to hell and back by France (who’s probably involved in the current military deployment). No wonder a new government would seek to ally with someone else instead, and I don’t think China is in the coup business.

            • DragonTypeWyvern@literature.cafeEnglish
              5·
              10 months ago

              I have absolutely no doubt he plans to yell genuinely fair criticism of the French capitalist devils as he ruthlessly exploits his people in his fascist dictatorship.

    • SuddenDownpour@lemmy.worldEnglish
      81·
      10 months ago

      If the citizens supported getting the president out, why not vote for it? Coups in democracies are almost always the instrument of those who cannot win elections.

  • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldMEnglish
    15·
    10 months ago

    I hope they succeed. Unfortunately, the people of Niger will suffer either way, but hopefully they will suffer less if the war is quick.