What's going on in Africa...

[youlik]

The process is developing

The United States will soon withdraw a thousand troops from Niger, the media reported
NYT and Reuters: The United States will soon withdraw a thousand troops from Niger

WASHINGTON, Apr 20 — RIA Novosti. The United States will soon withdraw a thousand troops from Niger, New York Times journalist Eric Schmitt reported.
"The United States has informed Niger that it will withdraw a thousand American troops in the coming months," the publication on the social network says.

As noted by Reuters, citing a source, on Friday at a meeting, Deputy head of the State Department Kurt Campbell and the Prime Minister of Niger reached an agreement on the withdrawal of the US armed Forces from the country.
Earlier, the media reported that the rebels who seized power in Niger broke the agreement with Washington, which allowed the American military to be in the African country. The reasons for the decision were not disclosed.
The Pentagon then told RIA Novosti that they were aware of the decision of the Niger authorities and were in contact with them on this issue.
Last summer, Niger's military announced on national television the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum from power. Soon, those who took power, led by the commander of the Presidential Guard, General Abdurakhman Tchiani, denounced military agreements with France.

США в ближайшее время выведут из Нигера тысячу военных, сообщили СМИ

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Процесс развивается.

 

[youlik]

Even Africans can't stand it anymore.

Burkina Faso has blocked seven international media outlets
Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso's Supreme Communications Council has suspended access to foreign media sites for spreading information accusing the army of abuses against civilians.

These are French, German and British resources — TV5 Monde, TV5, Deutsche Welle, Ouest-France, Le Monde.fr, ApaNews, The Gardian and AgenceEcofin.

All of them published a report by the NGO Human Rights Watch accusing the Burkina Faso army of killing 223 civilians in the north of the country in February.

The country's media regulator said it had found "categorical and tendentious" statements against the Burkina Faso army in the published content without any precautions.

The authorities "reject and strongly condemn such unfounded accusations." This "media campaign" is aimed at "discrediting" Burkina Faso's combat forces involved in the fight against terrorism.

Such a situation "undermines the basic principles of information processing" and can cause "violations of public order."

For the same reasons, French media outlets have been unable to broadcast in Burkina Faso for several months: Radio France Internationale (RFI), LCI and France24 TV channels, Le Monde newspaper and Jeune Afrique. And three days ago, access to the British BBC channel and the American Voice of America was temporarily blocked.

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[youlik]

It's nice.

In the capital of Niger, Niamey, Russian flags were raised at 15 roundabouts

NIAMEY, May 2 – RIA Novosti. Russian flags were raised at 15 roundabouts in the capital of Niger, a source in the Niamey administration told RIA Novosti.
"At 15 roundabouts, we raised the flags of the countries with which we have the warmest relations. The decoration of Niamey intersections with the flags of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and Russia has given the capital of Niger a wonderful aesthetic and symbolic touch. The purpose of this initiative is to celebrate the bonds of friendship and cooperation between these countries," a source in the Niamey administration told the agency.

The interlocutor noted that Niger is a member of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), so the flags of Burkina Faso and Mali mean cooperation and friendship between them. Russia is not a member of this association, so the placement of the Russian flag next to them symbolizes the growing diplomatic and security relations between Niger and Russia.

В столице Нигера подняли российские флаги

 

[youlik]

The process continues

American troops will withdraw from Chad, but will strengthen their presence in Ivory Coast
The head of the African Command of the US Armed Forces, General Michael Langley, confirmed the withdrawal of American troops from Chad, explaining this by revising the agreement on military cooperation. However, he clarified that cooperation between the countries would resume after May 6, after which Chad expressed readiness to continue cooperation with the United States.

In the context of reviewing its military presence in Africa, the United States is actively looking for new partners. Recently, General Langley visited Ivory Coast, where he held talks with President Alassane Ouattara and the country's military leadership. The main topic of discussion was the opening of a new US Air Force base, which is designed to replace facility 201 in Niger, from which American troops also plan to withdraw.

This strategic reshuffle is part of a broader initiative for a U.S. presence in the region. In 2024, the African Command of the US Armed Forces will send Ivory Coast more than $65 million, most of which will be allocated to combat terrorism and ensure security on the country's northern borders bordering Burkina Faso.

Американские войска выйдут из Чада, но усилят присутствие в Кот-д'Ивуаре

 

[Possibility of Being]

The process continues

Американские войска выйдут из Чада, но усилят присутствие в Кот-д'Ивуаре

This one is a week old, but has interesting details:

Дружественные России страны унизили США в Африке

Russia-friendly countries humiliate the US in Africa
26 April 2024

The United States has received a very offensive slap in the face in Africa: one of the countries of the Sahel region, Chad, has ordered the withdrawal of the American military contingent from its territory, while the other, Niger, is negotiating this. And Chad has made the withdrawal of American soldiers look as humiliating as possible. What does this mean from the point of view of Russia's interests?

American troops are leaving Chad. About 75 American Green Berets from the 20th Special Forces Group of the National Guard unit from Alabama will do so before 1 May, as The New York Times reported, citing officials. Negotiations with Chadian authorities could continue after 6 May, with about two dozen armed Americans remaining in the country throughout that time. They are mainly guarding the embassy and a number of private missions. But the special forces and trainers stationed at the military base in the capital, N'Djamena, must leave the country as a matter of urgency.

The withdrawal of the small American contingent was handled in the most humiliating way possible for the Americans. They received by regular airmail a letter in an envelope addressed to Idriss Amin, commander of the Chadian Air Force, not the first person of the country, on his letterhead. The letter was in French, and that in itself is an offence to the US, even though French is one of Chad's official languages. All this is very far from the official diplomatic procedures adopted in such a case.

US diplomats and military officials have decided that this is a form of pressure on them from Chad. They are right, most likely. But it is remarkable that Chad allows itself to "put pressure" on the world hegemon and nothing will happen to it.

A French military contingent remains in Chad for now, which is noticeably larger than a hundred Americans. Nevertheless, the American media insist that Chad is going to intensify cooperation with Russia, including in the military sphere. And that is why N'Djamena pointed the American military to the exit. True, the American side shows optimism. The Pentagon press service calls what is happening a "temporary step".

At the same time, new negotiations between a representative American delegation and the military authorities of the African country on the terms of withdrawal of the US drone base in Agadez began in neighbouring Niger. American sources emphasise that the decision to withdraw troops from Niger is "final", but they are still, as in Chad, trying to agree on something.

Niger broke the agreement with the United States, under which American troops could stay on the territory of this country as early as 16 March. Initially, it was supposed that the Americans should leave the country immediately, but this was technically impossible not only because of their number (more than 1,000 people), but mainly because of the abundance of high-tech and top-secret equipment at the base in Agadez. Since then, the Americans have made several attempts to persuade the Niger military to reconsider their decision, sending various influential delegations, but have only made things worse.

Update from Reuters, May 2:

Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces from the country. The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country. ... It also raises questions about the fate of U.S. installations in the country following a withdrawal.

Back to Vzglyad:

(...) What happened in Niger is undoubtedly a very strong blow to the US image and a failure not only for Washington but also for its allies. This is not just about the current base in Agadez, on which $110 million has already been spent. The Americans were planning to create a second base for UAVs in Niamey, as Niger is very well located.

Meanwhile, the Americans are indifferent to the threat of jihadism in the Sahel, which was previously the formal reason for the Western military presence in the region. In this case, jihadism poses no real threat to Washington. They are willing to leave counter-terrorism commitments to Russian military advisers in Africa.

The loss of the base in Niger is a severe blow, but it is not a reason for the US to change its entire strategy of presence in the region. It is a reason to adjust it. After all, there are still enough countries in the region that would be ready to gladly accept both American bases and military contingents.
There is even an approximate list. The Pentagon has previously announced plans to deploy US bases and troops in Côte d'Ivoire, Benin and Ghana.

Those countries of the Sahel, which in the last year and a half have embarked on a new round of anti-colonial struggle and declare friendly ties with Russia, are strategically very vulnerable.

First of all, they have no access to the sea, and it is controlled by those who are accustomed and ready to co-operate with the US and France: Togo, Benin, Ghana. Even the delivery of Russian grain to the Sahel countries goes through the ports of these three countries. And it should be remembered that the main difficulty that Russian presence in the Sahel suffers from so far is logistics.

The current situation additionally gives the Americans an opportunity to distance themselves from their toxic partner - neo-colonial France. In such a context, it is even possible to increase both military presence in the region and economic penetration, promising, for example, some additional benefits to Niger.

In this way, the US will be able to minimise strategic losses from withdrawal from the Sahel. This is an unpleasant story for them, first of all, from the point of view of image and discrediting the role they have declaredly assigned to themselves. But it would be premature and irresponsible to talk about the complete ousting of the Western presence from West Africa and replacing it with a Russian presence. Africa is too heterogeneous for a couple of individual cases to quickly turn into a trend. And the Americans and French have much more experience in the region than we do. Russia is gaining this invaluable experience right now.

Saying that the US is "willing to leave counter-terrorism commitments to Russian military advisers in Africa" was a diplomatic way, I think, of stating that if it is going out, they will need those jihadists to make Russian troops', diplomats' and entrepreneurs' life and life of Russia-aligned African countries hard. And they may be needed in some other, still hesitating countries, too.

 

[youlik]

Saying that the US is "willing to leave counter-terrorism commitments to Russian military advisers in Africa" was a diplomatic way, I think, of stating that if it is going out, they will need those jihadists to make Russian troops', diplomats' and entrepreneurs' life and life of Russia-aligned African countries hard. And they may be needed in some other, still hesitating countries, too.

Well, yes, maybe so, but if there are any other people who seriously think that all Americans talk about fighting terrorism is worth anything, then I deeply sympathize with them. The whole American fight against terrorism is to create and control (if possible) terrorist forces in their own interests, but they(terrorists) must be destroyed. Therefore, the situation will not be easy in any case, and it will be easier the less influence the United States has.

Spoiler: Russian spelling

Ну да, возможно и так, но если и есть еще какие то люди, которые всерьез думают, что все разговоры америки про борьбу с терроризмом хоть чего-нибудь стоят, то я им глубоко сочувствую. Вся американская борьба с терроризмом заключается в создании и контроле (по возможности) над террористическими силами в своих интересах, а их надо уничтожать. Поэтому ситуация в любом случае не будет легкой и она будет тем легче, чем меньше влияния будет у США.