Wagner taking advantage of instability – Antony Blinken

By bintu jidda kanempress
8th August 2023

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Russia’s Wagner mercenary group is “taking advantage” of instability in Niger.

Mr Blinken said he did not think Russia or Wagner instigated Niger’s coup.

The US was worried about the group “possibly manifesting itself” in parts of the Sahel region.

Mr Blinken said what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but they could be trying to take advantage of it.

According to him single place that this Wagner group has gone, death, destruction and exploitation have followed with
“Insecurity has gone up, not down”.

Blinken said that there was a “repeat of what’s happened in other countries, where they brought nothing but bad things in their wake”.

Niger has been ruled by a junta following the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum nearly two weeks ago.

Suggestions say the coup leaders have asked for help from Wagner, which is known to be present in neighbouring Mali.

Wagner is believed to be thousands of fighters in countries including the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali, with lucrative business interests alongside Russia’s diplomatic and economic relations.

The group’s fighters are accused of widespread human rights abuses in several African countries.