General Salifou Mody, one of the officers involved in the coup in Niger, travelled to Mali and held meetings with officials from the country On Wednesday.
Mody and his delegation attended a meeting with Col. Assimi Goita, who took control of the landlocked West African country nearly three years ago.
Western countries fear that Niger will fall under Russia’s influence after the coup, especially as Mali has welcomed up to 1,000 fighters from the Wagner Group.
Burkina Faso and another military junta-led Mali, have taken the unusual step of declaring that foreign military intervention in neighboring Niger after last week’s coup would be considered a declaration of war against them, too.
Frustration in Niger and neighboring countries over government weaknesses in tackling corruption and the threat of Islamic extremism has led to criticism directed at France, the former coloniser of present-day Mali, Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other countries in West and Central Africa.
Russia has played into such sentiments by framing itself to African nations as a country that never colonised the continent, winning support in Mali and other vulnerable nations for Moscow and the Russian mercenary group Wagner.
In one of few addresses to the West African country since seizing power from Niger’s democratically elected president a week ago, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani warned against foreign meddling and military intervention against the coup.
Meanwhile, the British Foreign Office announced that the United Kingdom is temporarily reducing the number of its embassy staff in Niamey, Niger, citing the “security situation” in the country. The decision comes as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and security of its personnel.
“Due to the security situation, the British Embassy in Niamey is temporarily reducing the number of its employees”, adds the ministry, referring to “protests which can be violent” and “a situation which can change quickly without warning”.
New demonstrations are planned for Thursday in the Nigerien capital after the military coup against Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum last week.
This reduction in British embassy staff comes after the United States ordered the partial evacuation of its embassy on Wednesday and France asked Niamey on Thursday to ensure that the security of its diplomatic mission is “fully guaranteed .
British Foreign Minister James Cleverly also said on Wednesday that a first group of British nationals had “safely left” Niger.
