The West African country of Niger bluntly told the United States this week that it had overstayed its welcome. Tensions have been high in this often forgotten but vitally important region, with elected governments falling in coups on the right and left.
Niger is one of three countries in the region whose elected leader fell after a coup removed him from power. A US delegation met the new leaders and the impression they created was less than favorable.
Is this latest in a long list of foreign policy missteps by the Biden administration an indicator of a regional power shift? Russia, China and Iran are undoubtedly enjoying the moment, regardless of their actual level of influence.
It is true?
Since last year’s coup, the United States has been increasingly concerned about the nation’s alleged partnerships with Iran and Russia. To dissuade Niger from approaching the two countries, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, Molly Phee, the senior official of the Department of Celestial Defense Wallander, and the head of the US Africa Command, General Michael Langley, visited the new leaders of Niger.
Officials described the meeting as very tense, as any meeting between African servicemen and white American women would be. Furthermore, allegations that Niger agreed to allow Iran to obtain uranium were met not just with denial but with indignation.
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The Nigerian government was quick to point out that it had been wrongly accused of supplying uranium to Saddam Hussein during the Bush administration. Junta spokesman Amadou Abdramane said:
“This cynical approach, usually used to discredit, demonize and justify threats against states, does not go without recalling the example of the second war in Iraq”.
Regarding the ever-increasing distrust of American intelligence in recent decades, Abdramane goes on to say:
“Indeed, Nigerians and the entire international community still remember the false evidence brandished by the US Secretary of State before the Security Council to justify American aggression against Iraq.”
Time cannot describe the sensations I felt after that trip down memory lane.
Go out
After being accused of having ties to Iran, the Nigerian government publicly severed its counterterrorism alliance with the United States. Furthermore, Mr Abdramane stated:
“The American presence on the territory of the Republic of Niger is illegal.”
The United States has a $110 million base in Niger that hosts between 600 and 1,000 American troops. The base is mainly used to monitor Islamic rebel activity in the area via drones.
Interestingly, US troop strength in Niger has grown by 900% over the past decade. In 2002, the number of terrorism-related deaths in the region was 23.
Last year, 11,643 people died due to terrorist activities in the same region, a whopping 50,000% increase. An anonymous Nigerian security analyst pointed out to The Intercept that:
“This security cooperation has not lived up to the expectations of Nigerians: all the massacres committed by jihadists were carried out while the Americans were here.”
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The data does not lie and begs the question: is Niger simply doing what is best for Niger? And if so, is it better for Niger and other similar countries to follow suit?
The irony
The American foreign policy ploy in Africa is underway. As usual, the United States was left without a backup plan.
Mr Abdramane said in his statement:
“Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerian people the right to choose their partners and types of partnership truly capable of helping them in the fight against terrorism.”
The reality experienced by Nigerians and countless other African nations, who have felt little or no relief from violence since the United States entered, makes a partnership with America difficult to sell. Mr. Abdramane continued to describe the deaf American delegation:
“The government of Niger strongly denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation by the head of the American delegation.”
On the one hand, the Biden administration preaches the forced acceptance of divergent cultural groups within its borders. On the other hand, it pays little attention to the cultural differences of its “partners” and “allies”.
Maybe next time you won’t send white women to berate African military coup plotters while simultaneously begging them to cooperate.
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