Page 32 - Sahel News Today

The MINUSMA's departure from Mali comes amid a surge in attacks and deteriorating security conditions in the Sahel country.

West African leaders were weighing their next moves on Saturday as they seek to overturn a military coup in Niger that has rocked the region, but also triggered a groundswell of support in the country.

Bazoum, his son and wife have been held in the basement of his palace in Niamey since the coup on 26 July.

The clashes come as the Coordination of Azawad Movements stated it had come under attack by the Malian army and Russian Wagner mercenaries.

The fight on terrorism in africa and thats where these countries matter so much now. the second reason is there is a strong fear that the region, the sahel collapses and falls in the hands of china and russia because, as you know, there is the strong competition between global powers and even regular powers in africa, and niger represents these two things. last frontier of this fight against terrorism, against the islamic state and al qaeda in africa, but also, its an important asset for western...

So you have the islamic state or isis destabilizing these country which is is causing the governments to get weak and fragile and meanwhile, the chinese and the russians are trying to take advantage. are they allied? are the chinese and russians allied with the military juntas that are taking control in these countries? >> you know, russia, its more a matter of opportunity and china, its not limited to the sahel. there is global competition everywhere on the continent, but every time a coup happ...

The impoverished West African state of Niger is the latest flashpoint in the struggle by the imperialist powers for a redivision of the world.

"Conflicts like this one, we just know how it starts but the end, we don't know."

Gen Tchiani has, so far, rejected all suggestions of compromise.

Nigerien tailor Yahaya Oumarou carefully ran cuts of white, blue and red fabric under his sewing machine, assembling them into the three horizontal bands of Russia's flag.