Has Niger won the power struggle in West Africa? The West African organization ECOWAS, which is presumably dominated by Nigeria, will lift its sanctions against Niger, where a pro-Russian military junta overthrew the pro-Western government last year. ECOWAS also calls on Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso to rejoin the organization. Mali and Burkina are allies of Niger. Finally, ECOWAS will lift its sanctions against Guinea, which is still an ECOWAS member.
Ostensibly, all these sanctions are about "restoring democracy", but I think it´s safe to say that it´s really an expression of geopolitics. Anti-Russian geopolitics, to be exact.
The sanctions did cripple Niger´s economy, but they have also hit back at Nigeria, apparently because the two nations have intertwined economies. So rather than continuing with the blockade, ECOWAS (which at one point even threatened military action against the Niger junta) have backed down. And yes, it´s a win for Russia. But apparently also for the civilian population, who didn´t get shit out of the shenanigans.
That being said, I couldn´t care less whether or not the nations in the Sahel are run by military regimes or not. I´m happy as long as they fight al-Qaeda and don´t conspire with the Wagner Group. Or ex-Wagner, in this case. If you have to bribe them to make them leave the Russian orbit, by all means, bribe them, then.
I have spoken. Plainly.
"West Africa drops sanctions against Niger, ceding to coup regime"
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