Mathieu GottelandFeb 1, 2024

Quelques réflexions sur le sommet #Italie-Afrique et le "plan Mattei"

Les 29 et 30 janvier s'est tenu à Rome un sommet Italie-Afrique, suivant un modèle de plus en plus populaire et qui donne parfois l'impression que c'est les dizaines de pays africains doivent quémander un partenariat d'égal à égal avec des puissances, non seulement mondiales, mais aussi moyennes (sommets Japon-Afrique, Corée-Afrique, Arabie saoudite-Afrique, bientôt Inde-Afrique...).

https://www.rfi.fr/fr/afrique/20240129-sommet-italie-afrique-rome-veut-%C3%A9crire-une-nouvelle-page-dans-les-relations-avec-le-continent

Sommet Italie-Afrique: Rome veut écrire «une nouvelle page» dans les relations avec le continent

Le sommet Italie-Afrique se déroule ce 29 janvier 2024 à Rome. Ce lundi matin, la cheffe du gouvernement italien a présenté dans les grandes lignes les objectifs de son « Plan Mattei » pour l'Afrique. Georgia Meloni affirme vouloir écrire « une nouvelle page » dans les relations avec le continent, avec une approche « non prédatrice ». Détails.

RFI
Show threadMathieu GottelandFeb 1, 2024
Dans le même temps, ces sommets sont la preuve d'un intérêt renouvelé de tous, et non seulement des puissances hégémoniques ou des partenaires traditionnels, pour le continent africain.
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackFeb 3, 2024

⬆️ @mathieugotteland

>> these summits are proof of a renewed interest in the #African continent on the part of everyone, not just the hegemonic powers and traditional partners

#Russia is trying hard to cut a wide swath across the middle of the continent — from #Mauritania on the #Atlantic to #Eritrea on the #RedSea — and everything in between

Quickly hemming up support with Sahel States #Mali, #Niger, & #BurkinaFaso, & most recently #Chad, #Putin is on a collision course with #France and #EU.

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackFeb 3, 2024

⬆️ @mathieugotteland

Feels like the entirety of the continent of #Africa, from #Algeria in the north to #SouthAfrica in the south are in the tank for #Putin.

#US says Algeria push for #UN ceasefire resolution could hurt #Gaza talks. #permanentStateOfWar

Algeria and Russia are uniting to divide West Africa ➡️ https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4214238-algeria-and-russia-are-uniting-to-divide-west-africa/

Algeria-Russia Relations After the Ukraine Invasion ➡️ https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/algeria-russia-relations-after-ukraine-invasion

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-says-algeria-push-un-ceasefire-resolution-could-hurt-gaza-talks-2024-02-02/

Algeria and Russia are uniting to divide West Africa

It appears that an increasingly closer Russo-Algerian alignment is taking place to convert the Sahel into a pro-Russian and Algerian bloc threatening either countries in the Horn of Africa or Nigeria. 

The Hill
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackMar 17, 2024

⬆️ @mathieugotteland

>> dozens of African countries that have to beg for an equal partnership with powers that are not only global…

At least one of them doesn't want any partnership with US & West.

#Niger suspends military cooperation with #US after moving away from #France and #EU last year.

US invested 100s of millions in training Niger’s military against resurgent #AlQaeda. Some in that military overthrew the democratically elected president #Bazoum in a coup.

https://apnews.com/article/niger-junta-us-military-base-b70bfba835a567d5f3439a32c9c82836

⬇️

Niger's junta says US military presence is no longer justified

Niger’s junta says the U.S. military presence in the country is no longer justified after holding high-level talks with U.S. diplomatic and military officials this week, Niger plays a central role in the U.S. military’s operations in the Sahel, and is home to a major airbase. Nigerian spokesman Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane delivered the statement on state television. While he stopped short of saying U.S. forces should leave, he said Niger was suspending military cooperation with Washington. He also said U.S. flights over the country’s territory conducted over recent weeks were illegal.

AP News
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackMar 17, 2024

⬆️ @mathieugotteland

Timeline ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111836301011875199

July 2023: #Niger military toppled #Bazoum

July 2023: #Putin visited #BurkinaFaso

Sept 2023: Niger, Burkina Faso, and #Mali ganged up to form #AllianceOfSahelStates (#ASE) and turned toward #Russia

Oct 2023: US officially designated the military takeover as a coup

Dec 2023: US said it was willing to restore aid and security ties if Niger met certain conditions

Niger junta spokesman said the US tone was condescending

⬇️

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackMar 17, 2024

⬆️ @mathieugotteland

…Timeline, continued

Jan 2024: #Blinken tried appeasement and pitched #US as a better security partner for #Africa in place of #Russia’s #Wagner mercenary group

Feb 2024: #ECOWAS tried appeasement (in vain) ➡️ https://mastodon.social/@rameshgupta/111987078253232097

March 2024: After high-level talks with US diplomatic and military officials this week, #Niger practically said #FU to US, and stopped short of saying US forces should leave.

So, the question now is: Who is begging whom?

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackApr 14, 2024

⬆️ Last month, #Niger said #FU to #US.

US had considered Niger a key partner & ally. It invested heavily in training Niger’s forces to beat back insurgencies by #AlQaeda & #IslamicState militants.

When US warned Niger junta against cooperating with #Russia & #Iran, they were upset, saying US was trying to force Niger to choose between partners.

Now they have made a choice, as #Russian military trainers have arrived to reinforce Niger's air defenses.

https://apnews.com/article/niger-russia-military-trainers-18d6435d00e7790de9ee53e24bfca7ba
@mathieugotteland

Russian military trainers arrive in Niger as relations deteriorate with the US

Russian military trainers have arrived in Niger to reinforce the country’s air defenses as the western African nation pulls away from close cooperation with the U.S. in counterterrorism efforts, turning instead to Russia for help as it fights Islamic insurgents in the Sahel region. State television in Niger on Thursday broadcast footage of Russian military trainers arriving in the country this week aboard a plane equipped with military supplies. Two Russian trainers were filmed in front of the plane wearing military uniforms, caps and face coverings. U.S. officials say Niger’s ruling military council has yet to order American troops out. But the arrival of Russian forces makes it complicated for the U.S. forces to remain in the country.

AP News
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackJun 23, 2024

⬆️ #Niger revokes #French company’s operating permit at major uranium mine.

Feels like the entirety of the continent of #Africa, from #Algeria in the north to #SouthAfrica in the south are in the tank for #Putin.

#Niger had suspended military cooperation with #US in March this year after moving away from #France and #EU last year.

https://apnews.com/article/mining-uranium-niger-france-junta-orano-ef4878557b0ec558c36639ed7464d7e3

Niger revokes French company's operating permit at major uranium mine

Nigerien military authorities have withdrawn the operating permit for a large uranium mine from the French company Orano. The company said the decision was made Thursday, nearly a year after the junta overthrew a democratically elected government on a pledge to cut ties with its former colonial power. Niger, a landlocked country of 26 million, is the world’s third biggest supplier of uranium, used for weapons and nuclear power. In 2022, the country was the second biggest source of uranium for the European Union, providing a quarter of its supplies, according to the bloc’s nuclear agency.

AP News
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackJun 23, 2024

⬆️ #Coup-hit #Niger was betting on a #China-backed oil #pipeline as a lifeline. Then the troubles began.

The linked story below explains why Niger might have revoked the #French company’s uranium mining permit reported above.

With Niger tilting towards #Russia and neighboring #Benin aligned with #France and the #WestAfrican bloc, China has tried to step in and resolve the impasse and benefit from its investment in the project.

#Chinese #DebtDiplomacy

https://apnews.com/article/niger-benin-oil-pipeline-china-agadem-coup-01891707e30450361eeaedbb3daf7bce

Coup-hit Niger was betting on a China-backed oil pipeline as a lifeline. Then the troubles began

A pipeline project built with China's support that would make Niger an oil-exporting country is being threatened by an internal security crisis and a diplomatic dispute with neighoring Benin. Both crises are as a result of last year’s coup that toppled the West African nation’s democratic government. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world and was hoping to use the oil exports to shore up revenue and emerge from post-coup sanctions. Observers now worry that the stalled pipeline operation could halt the country's overall economic growth.

AP News
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBack

⬆️ #US faces a critical inflection point in #Africa, struggles with shaky relations and troop cuts in #African nations.

Military #juntas that overthrew gov in #Mali, #BurkinaFaso, & #Niger are reassessing their ties to US and turning to #Russian mercenaries instead.

Forced US troop withdrawals from bases in Niger & #Chad and potential to shift some troops to other West African nations will be key issues as Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff meets with his counterparts.

https://apnews.com/article/us-africa-niger-chad-defense-brown-05cb62aff7faa0318f2e39290f708666

US struggles with shaky relations and troop cuts in African nations as military leaders meet

The forced U.S. troop withdrawals from bases in Niger and Chad and the potential to shift some troops to other nations in West Africa will be key issues as the top U.S. military officer meets with his counterparts at a conference. Gen. CQ Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrived in Botswana Monday as the U.S. faces a critical inflection point in Africa. Increasingly, military juntas that overthrew democratic governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are reassessing their ties to the U.S. and the West and turning to mercenaries linked to Russia.

AP News
Jun 24, 2024 at 9:17pmWeb
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackJul 5, 2024

⬆️ #US troops are leaving #Niger bases after coup as the junta turned to the #Russian mercenary group #Wagner

Niger’s ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications because it is forcing troops to abandon the base used for counterterrorism in #Sahel where #alQaeda and #IslamicState groups operate

Extremist group #JNIM is active in #Mali, #BurkinaFaso, and #Niger. It is now looking to expand into #Benin and #Togo

https://apnews.com/article/niger-american-troops-withdraw-africa-bases-414e315fb0b5e1ee8047c0baf191a6c5

US says troops are leaving Niger bases this weekend and in August after coup

The U.S. military commander in Niger says all American forces and equipment will leave a small base in the West African country this weekend and fewer than 500 remaining troops will be out of a critical drone base in August. The departures come ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline set in an agreement with the new ruling junta. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman said Friday that a number of small teams of 10-20 U.S. troops, including special operations forces, have moved to other countries in West Africa. The bulk of the other forces will go, at least initially, to Europe. Ekman spoke in an interview from the U.S. embassy in Niamey.

AP News
Show threadArena Cops 🇺🇦✌Jul 5, 2024
@rameshgupta It's now the Russian infidels' problem on site.
While the U.S. won't look away. 😎
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackJul 30, 2024

⬆️ #Russia’s #Wagner has deadliest loss in #Africa’s #Sahel region

#LetThemFight

Approximately 50 Wagner fighters in a convoy were killed in an #AlQaida ambush

#AlQaeda asserted that 50 Wagner fighters were killed in its attack meant to “avenge the massacres committed in the center and north” of #Mali

Russia has capitalized on the deteriorating relations between the West and coup-affected Sahel nations in West Africa to send fighters and assert its influence.

https://apnews.com/article/mali-wagner-russia-sahel-tuareg-extremism-conflict-949c217b99f4f2cbf07805345f399273

Russia's Wagner has deadliest loss in Africa’s Sahel, highlighting the region's instability

Dozens of Wagner mercenaries were killed by jihadis and rebels over the weekend in northern Mali in what one analyst describes as the largest battleground blow to the shadowy Russian group in years. At least two others were taken captive. The Sahel specialist, who says he counted bodies in a video of the aftermath, estimates that at least 50 Wagner fighters were killed in an al-Qaida ambush along the border with Algeria. Wagner confirmed that some of its fighters as well as Malian troops were killed in a battle with hundreds of militants. Al-Qaida asserted that 50 Wagner fighters were killed.

AP News
Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackAug 30, 2024

⬆️ >> #US faces a critical inflection point in #Africa, struggles with shaky relations and troop cuts in #African nations. Military #juntas that overthrew gov in #Mali, #BurkinaFaso, & #Niger are reassessing their ties to US and turning to #Russian mercenaries instead

The Russian mercenaries are now going back to #Russia because of #Ukraine incursion into Russian territory

This is another way Ukraine is helping us protect not just #Europe, but #Africa too.

Via @timkmak
https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2024/08/29/les-paramilitaires-russes-de-la-brigade-bear-quittent-le-burkina-faso_6298336_3212.html

Les paramilitaires russes de la Brigade Bear quittent le Burkina Faso

Ce groupe d’une centaine d’hommes, arrivés en mai à Ouagadougou, assurait la protection de certaines personnalités, dont probablement celle du chef de la junte, le capitaine Ibrahim Traoré.

Le Monde
Show threadArena Cops 🇺🇦✌Aug 30, 2024

@rameshgupta @timkmak Mob boss Putin may be richer (from stolen Russian riches), than Julius Caesar ever was.

But definitely not smarter.

Let's hope for other parallels with Caesar's later life though! 😉😎✌

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackSep 2, 2024

⬆️ >> #Russian mercenaries are now going back to #Russia because of #Ukraine incursion into Russian territory.

As Russians retreat (and the West before that) from #BurkinaFaso, Islamist jihadists kill hundreds in one of the deadliest attacks since groups linked to #alQaeda and #IslamicState moved into Burkina Faso from neighbouring #Mali almost a decade ago, plunging the #Sahel nation into a security crisis that contributed to two coups in 2022.

https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/suspected-jihadists-kill-hundreds-burkina-faso-attack-2024-08-27/

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackSep 7, 2024

⬆️ As #Africa's #Sahel states push out #US and #EU countries, and as #Russia retrenches itself because of #Ukraine incursions in #Kursk, #China seems to have found a way to elbow into the region.

China is hosting the China-Africa summit Forum on China-Africa Cooperation #FOCAC this week

Chinese #debtDiplomacy is known for inducing African countries to take on crushing debt which it refuses to cancel.

China is also active in Nigerien uranium mining

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy0r74j7j1wo

China-Africa summit: President Xi Jinping pledges greener future

China looks to invest in clean energy but it is not clear if this will shift the relationship with Africa.

Show threadRamesh #NotGoingBackNov 21, 2024

⬆️ How #Russia's disinformation machine worked in #CentralAfricanRepublic, the crown jewel in Moscow’s operations on the #African continent.

See the related post higher up in this 🧵 thread for how Russia has been pushing #US, #France, and other #European countries out and taking over the entire continent of #Africa, one country (or more) at a time.

https://apnews.com/article/wagner-russia-africa-whistleblower-disinformation-central-african-republic-35445ef04568b65763180246019c102b

A former staffer exposes how Russia's disinformation machine worked in Central African Republic

When Ephrem Yalike-Ngonzo was first approached in 2019 by a Russian who suggested he help promote the activities of the Central African Republic’s army and Russian forces in the country, the journalist believed that he was doing the right thing. But he soon realized that he was recruited by Kremlin-backed Wagner forces to spread Russian propaganda in the country, the crown jewel in Moscow’s operations on the African continent. Despite threats and intimidation, Yalike-Ngonzo fled and made it to Europe several months ago with the help of The Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa. On Thursday, he became the first person to tell the story of the Russian disinformation machine in Central African Republic from the inside.

AP News