Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Russia’s Wagner mercenary group is trying to “take advantage” of the ongoing stability in Niger after a coup attempt was launched late last month.
“I think what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but… they tried to take advantage of it,” he told BBC.
Blinken told the outlet that wherever Wagner “has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed.”
Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, head of Niger’s presidential guard, has named himself head of a transitional government in the West African country after overthrowing democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum late last month.
The United States has avoided calling the takeover a coup, instead calling on Tchiani to reverse course. Niger hosts more than 1,000 U.S. troops in the country mainly for counterterrorism operations.
At the time of the military takeover last month, Wagner group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin released a statement in support of the attempted coup and offered his organization’s services. A Wagner chat on Telegram said Prigozhin “continues to strengthen the position and influence of Russia and Wagner in Africa.”
The State Department has previously said that there is no evidence that Wagner was involved in the coup.
The U.S., France and regional leaders in Africa have been pushing for Niger’s coup leaders to allow Bazoum to return to power. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), spearheaded by Nigeria, warned of potential military confrontation if the coup leaders refuse to back down by a Sunday deadline.
ECOWAS will meet on Thursday to discuss how to respond now that the deadline has passed.
Blinken reiterated in a separate interview with Radio France Internationale that the U.S. is focusing on diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation.
“So, like other countries, we are trying to advance diplomacy to ensure a return to constitutional order,” he said. “What we are seeing in Niger is extremely troubling and provides nothing to the country and its people. On the contrary, the interruption of this constitutional order puts us, and many other countries, in a position where we have to stop our aid, our support, and this will not benefit the people of Niger.”
Blinken’s comments come after Victoria Nuland, the acting deputy secretary of state, held “extremely frank” and “difficult” talks with Niger’s junta leaders to urge them to abandon their coup attempt.
“We kept open the door to continue talking. But again, it was difficult today, and I will be straight up about that,” she told reporters.