Wagner, Niger And Us

The West African sub-region last week woke up to the news of the arrest of the constitutionally elected President of the Republic of Niger and usurpation of power in that country.

It was a development which added to the list of Francophone countries under juntas and instructively all the countries thereof have links of sorts to Wagner, the notorious Russian mercenary group.

Nationals of Niger like their Malian counterparts did wave Russian flags when news about the putsch was made public.

The bottom-line is that Russian mercenary influence is becoming entrenched around us and we must fret about the negative development.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), it would appear, has never been so stressed in recent times. It has issued an ultimatum to the coup makers to reverse the status quo of face possible military action.

Given the fact that such an action might not be feasible, the economic community might lose face as it is unable to make good its threat.

Even more intriguing is the subtle support the Russian mercenaries have promised the coup makers.

With the mercenaries now emboldened, nothing stops them from establishing a foothold in the sub-region, the security implications of which are not far-fetched.

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. Today is Monday and there is no sign that ECOWAS has moved troops to Niamey or even close to that country's borders even as the deadline of its ultimatum ended yesterday.

Local national security strategy should be redrawn. With the recently publicised one still in place, given the reality of Russian mercenaries digging in across our borders, some amendments must be considered.

The countries harbouring the mercenaries being members of ECOWAS and with no intention of rescinding their decision, the need to rethink our relationship with such neighbouring countries cannot be overlooked.

The troubles are piling up. Militants of ISIS and others have not let go their military objectives thereby overstretching the defence projects of the countries in which they are active; Burkina Faso neighbour being an exception.

Intelligence gathering by our foremost frontier security agencies, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Ghana Armed Forces should be shored up.

Training manuals of officers, men and women of these agencies should be overhauled against the backdrop of the dawning realities.

Russia is eagerly looking for new friends in Africa in the face of global sanctions and dwindling number of associates. The recent number of 17 heads of state in Moscow, a far cry of previous high numbers, said it all about why Putin is eagerly looking for new friends in Africa. A coup in Niger and destabilisation of neighbouring countries would certain fit the bill of desperate Putin as he slugs it out with Ukraine.

Whether we like it or not, we are gradually being drawn into a new security architecture of complex dimension.

For now all we can do is tighten our borders, educate residents of our frontiers and others about the changing world politics and national security.

Source: Daily Guide