Most people are aware in some capacity of the coup that occurred in Niger last week. The coup was led by members of Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum’s presidential guard, who claim that they are seizing control and holding Bazoum in order to protect “freedom and democracy” and remove French influence from the country. The junta is supported by the army of Niger and many of the nation’s citizens. In response to this, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has condemned the coup, and instructed the junta to release President Bazoum and cede control of the nation back to him. If the junta does not comply with ECOWAS demands, a coalition of forces led by Nigeria will invade.
You can read more about the facts of the situation from an Al Jazeera timeline.
I do not buy this story from the junta. It seems to me that the group is using populist arguments to garner credibility and support for their cause. Hiding under the guise of an anti-imperialist movement, the junta has been able to garner non-aligned international support, as well as support from Russia, who is dispatching Wagner Group mercenaries to assist with the impending ECOWAS invasion.
This connection to Russia is why I suspect this populist argument is just a front. A businessman from Niamey, unnamed and unpictured, made the claim that “[France] exploited all the riches of my country such as uranium, petrol and gold. The poorest Nigeriens are unable to eat three times a day because of France.” While I do not support the colonial, imperialist, or neo-colonial actions of Western nations and condemn the history of such actions in developing nations, this business man is being manipulated to align with the junta’s messaging. Rising support of Russia only contradicts those concerns, and anyone who thinks Russia will not continue the exploitation undertaken by France is completely misguided. Whether you call it subjugation or guidance, France was helping Bazoum lead Niger to take extraordinary steps in improving quality of life and increasing GDP growth. After Bazoum’s election, Niger’s GDP growth increased from 1.4% in 2021, to 11.5% in 2022. This is an extraordinary growth in a single year of a Presidency. That statistic alone is enough to understand how short sighted this coup is. The junta has effectively halted exponential development in a shortsighted power grab.
With the previous points in mind, it is clear that an ECOWAS intervention is understandable and necessary. For higher developed, stronger nations such as Ghana and Nigeria, seeing a once stable and rapidly developing neighbor in Niger plunge into chaos at the hands of a junta is not something that works in their interest. Once a growing potential partner, Niger looks as if they may join Mali and Burkina Faso in suffering under a dictatorship that uses populist rhetoric to bastardize anti-imperialist thought to garner international support. An ECOWAS intervention can avoid misguided critique from the non-aligned international community if they do one simple action: ignore offers of help from the West. If Nigeria, and the ECOWAS coalition can oust the coup on their own, they can avoid accusations of being controlled by imperialists, as well and show the world that for the first time in a long time, Africa can manage its own international affairs without Western assistance.
An ECOWAS intervention in Niger is not just an attempt to help a suffering neighbor regain its footing, a successful intervention empowers Africa, and actually helps battle against neocolonialism by showing the world that Africa can maintain their own economy and security. I hope that this situation resolves without bloodshed, but letting a junta rule unchecked historically results in the loss of life of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.