The Prime Minister of Niger, currently in exile in France, appealed to Italy and the West to provide support in stopping not only the coup leaders, but above all the jihadists heading south. Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani replied that a Western military intervention was not an option at the moment and that Europe had to change its policy towards Africa to curb the expansion of Russia and China and the jihadist threat.
What can be done to save Niger?
“Diplomacy is the only solution. I hope that the ultimatum of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), expired at midnight last night, will be extended today. A solution must be found: there is still hope that a way, other than war, can be found. Europe cannot afford an armed conflict, we cannot be seen as the new colonisers of Africa. On the contrary, we must create a new alliance with African countries, one that does not involve exploitation. We must ensure local employment; we must work together; we must work so that people will be able to live in their own countries. We must put in place a new friendship policy wanted by everyone. We have to fight for this. We must continue to delay the war as much as possible. To do this, we need investments, as envisaged in the Mattei Plan: Italy should intervene in this sense, by carrying out development cooperation initiatives, by fighting climate change and by investing in research and training”.
But how can war be avoided when Wagner is already in Niamey and the coup leaders have no intention of accepting ECOWAS’s demands?
“Wagner mercenaries from Russia have been operating in sub-Saharan Africa for some time now, with great determination. They have taken advantage of the unstable situation to strengthen their presence in the Sahel. We have seen them in Mali, Burkina Faso… they will use the conflict in Niger to infiltrate there as well. The coup leaders are escalating the confrontation using the Wagner threat, but I don’t think they intend to intervene militarily. We have had no reports of their involvement in the coup. Of course, the Russian disinformation campaign has been underway for a long time and still continues. The Kremlin’s influence can also be seen in the Niger crowds that have taken to the streets of the capital: they are waving Russian flags, there is strong anti-French propaganda and strong manipulation by Putin”.
So, are the Russians the new colonisers in Africa?
“Yes, we are faced with a new era of Russian and Chinese colonialism, all over the area, now also in Niger. One thing is certain, Europe is already engaged in too many military fronts, Ukraine first of all. We cannot start another conflict, in Africa”.
Will Bazoum, who asked the West for help, be abandoned?
“He should be freed, but we cannot do it. America is very cautious in this respect, it is unthinkable that it will launch a military intervention in Niger. Liberation will be the fruit of laborious and lengthy work. Now, the only way is to extend the ultimatum. ECOWAS in Niamey has not been able to talk to the coup leaders, we must insist precisely on seeking dialogue. There is still time”.
It is also true that the population, however, is extremely poor and does not see eye to eye with France.
“Yes, indeed. This has contributed to internal destabilisation, which is precisely what we want to avoid. We must find solutions in Africa that do not benefit only us Westerners while making Africans poor, but solutions that benefit both of us. We must bring about local transformations, help people in Africa, create jobs there. War would put an end to all this”.
The EU and Tunisia continue to negotiate on migrants, while they are being sent by the Tunisian government to the border with Libya and left to die in the desert. Human rights must carry weight in international agreements.
“We have asked UNHCR to address this situation. It is certainly very complicated: not only migrants must be helped, but also the Tunisian population, which is struggling and suffering from this situation. The money given to the Tunisian government is also used to help Tunisians. Nothing more can be done. We need a European strategy to find new solutions. Otherwise, the risk is that Russia will become stronger in various global scenarios: one of the objectives is to try to limit the damage”.
Regarding the issue of migrants, many will now also leave from Niger.
“The issue of the new wave of migrants is already a reality. If an agreement is not reached, the situation is likely to worsen with each passing day. A war in Niger will be a catastrophe. Especially for those fleeing the country”.
The Black Sea is a new theatre of war, the end of the wheat agreement has opened up more crises, not only the food crisis: can Putin’s demands to extend the agreement be accepted?
“The highest price will be paid by the poorest countries who will not receive the grain”.
This is not quite the case: Oxfam said that in the last year 80 per cent of the grain and cereals went to the richest countries while the poorest countries got just 3%.
“I don’t know how much Africans have bought, Egypt has certainly bought a lot. However, grain and cereal prices are rising: that is the main problem. There has to be an agreement between Russia and Ukraine with the mediation of Turkey, which is the only country able to negotiate at the moment. Putin will go to Turkey in August, I hope an agreement can be reached”.
Regarding the conflict in Ukraine, do you see a glimmer of hope with China attending the summit in Jeddah?
“The peace summit in Saudi Arabia is very important. Especially because of the presence of Beijing. I hope that China can participate in this peace dialogue. I will be in China in September, and this is something we will also discuss”.
