Niger’s military leader has said that the Sahel country is ending two European Union security and defence missions in the country, right after announcing that Niger has agreed to strengthen military cooperation with Russia.
The so-called EU security and defence mission is a Niamey-based civilian capacity-building mission called EUCAP Sahel Niger. The mission was launched in 2012 to support Niger’s internal security forces, authorities and non-governmental actors.
At the same time that this EU mission was terminated, Niger’s foreign ministry also announced in a press statement, that the State of Niger was withdrawing consent for the deployment of an EU military partnership mission in Niger.
The military partnership known as EUMPM was launched in February at the “request” of the Bazoum-led Nigerien authorities, according to the EU Council website. The website claims that it was designed to “enhance the ability of the Niger Armed Forces to contain the terrorist threat.”
But as far as Nigeriens are concerned, as I have reported several times, these partnerships only made matters worse. It appeared as if France and the EU only initiated these partnerships to protect their looting machinery on-ground in Niger.
This is why Nigeriens came out en masse, and placed their very lives on the line to defend the Russia-leaning Nigerien junta, whom the people deemed as liberators.
Today, Niger’s former colonial ruler, France, has been disgraced out of Niger for good, as the withdrawal of their 15,000 troops from the poor, struggling African country is ongoing right now.
At the same time that every apron string tying Niger to France and the EU is being radically and summarily severed, a Russian delegation led by the deputy defence just minister met on Monday with Niger’s authorities in Niamey, and the two countries agreed to strengthen military cooperation.
The trip was the first official visit by a member of the Russian government since the July 26 coup in Niger. The delegation led by Colonel-General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov was hosted for talks by Niger’s military leader, Abdourahmane Tiani. Both parties later signed documents to strengthen military cooperation between the Republic of Niger and the Russian Federation.
So, it’s a done deal now.
Cast on stone! Russia is Niger’s official military partner – a partnership built on the graves of France/EU’s complacent imperialistic misadventures in this great country made poor by design.
Just two days prior, on Saturday, Burkina Faso and Niger also joined Mali in quitting the G5 Sahel Joint anti-jihadist force in Africa’s Sahel region. Only Chad and Mauritania now remain in the G5 Sahel Joint Force, whose military deployment is largely financed by the European Union.
And you know what happens when they finance it…they also control it and not only that, it becomes a cover for them to cunningly militarize our regions, not to fight insecurity but use insecurity in any way they can to achieve their imperialistic geopolitical aims, and this is why the people are in agreement that rather than reduce insecurity, their presence has only led to more insecurity.
So, it’s obvious why the liberated states of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso would abandon just two countries in the sinking G5 ship.
Imagine how proactive and resolute these smaller brother countries have been in the face of oppression. Yet, we have the so-called big brothers like Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, etc.
It’s such a shame to behold the bending over to satisfy colonial Europe’s obnoxiously immoral and debauched appetite for subjugation and generational enslavement. But I guess we have to celebrate the little victories on the Sahel and hope for the sleeping giants to wake up, hopefully in our lifetime. God keep Putin alive!