Military leaders look to Wagner Group amid pressure to release detained president, Mohamed Bozoum.
Facing an Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) imposed an ultimatum to free their president, Niger’s coup leaders reach out to the Russian Wagner Group for assistance.
General Salifou Mody, a coup leader, reportedly initiated contact with Wagner during a visit to Mali, as confirmed by various sources including journalist Wassim Nasr.
“They need [Wagner] because they will become their guarantee to hold onto power,” Nasr indicated.
The regional bloc, ECOWAS, demands the release of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who has labelled himself a hostage.
Defence chiefs from ECOWAS have crafted an intervention strategy, emphasizing readiness for action if the junta remains unyielding.
Following his Mali trip, Mody cautioned against any military intervention, vowing that Niger would resist becoming “a new Libya”.
Historically a Western counterterrorism ally, Niger’s military is now distancing from former colonizer France and gravitating towards Russia. Wagner, facing accusations of human rights violations, has a footprint in several African nations, including Mali.
