₦airaland Forum

APRNEWS- Emmanuel Macron will not be at the BRICS summit that South Africa will organize in a few days. Contrary to his wishes, the French President was not invited.

APRNEWS- Emmanuel Macron will not participate in the BRICS summit scheduled to be held from August 22 to 24, 2023, in Johannesburg.

Giving an update on preparations for the event on Monday, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said a total of 67 leaders from Africa and other southern countries are expected in Johannesburg. . The organizers therefore did not invite the French President.

A few weeks ago, Emmanuel Macron had, in fact, expressed the desire to see France present at the summit as an observer. In this sense, his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, on a visit to South Africa last June, had tried to persuade her South African counterpart. "We have to talk to understand each other and to find solutions," insisted the Frenchwoman facing Naledi Pandor.

But the leaders of the BRICS were not moved by the words of the head of French diplomacy. They preferred to side with the position of Russia which, from the outset, had considered that such an invitation would be “inappropriate”. The reason put forward to justify such a position concerns France's support for Ukraine in the war between it and Russia and its membership of NATO.

It should be remembered that the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, will be the only leader of one of the five countries of the group who will not travel physically. Threatened by an international arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC, the master of the Kremlin will virtually follow the work and will be represented on site by his Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Lavrov.

https://apr-news.fr/fr/actualites/aprnews-emmanuel-macron-indesire-au-sommet-des-brics

mauchiz:
Putin that wants to do business in Nigeria by all means, what does Niger have that he wants to fight for?

Nigeria is not good, but China, India, Europeans keep coming to Nigeria, what are they looking for?
When they manufacture, our population consume it, our leaders should go out there and win them to come invest here.
Putin likes e Nigeria and wants opportunity to do business here, we are the giant of Africa, we have the population, we have the market, that is why the west can't leave Nigeria alone.
Remember, we are still the giant of Africa.

Goodman2023:
Shut up...you don't know how invasion works...there is hardlta third party in invasion... negotiation, upon negotiation, upon negotiation..

Should ECOWAS invade Niger, no third party will come in unless you do something that is directly related to that third party

Russian President Vladimir Putin has met privately with Burkina Faso’s interim military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, over a situation that might not be unconnected with the Niger crisis.

While the details of the meeting were not clear as of the time of filing this report, there are speculations that the meeting was part of Putin’s plans to meet with French-speaking West African countries ruled by the military.

A short clip of the Russian leader’s meeting with Traore was posted by Jackson Hinkle on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday.

@jacksonhinkle wrote, “Putin held a private meeting with the world’s youngest leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso.”

Traore is the world’s youngest currently serving leader after becoming the interim leader of Burkina Faso following the coup on 30th September 2022 which ousted interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba.

Mali and Burkina Faso have pledged their support to Niger, as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued a one-week ultimatum to the junta to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.

The deadline elapsed on Sunday and the ECOWAS leaders said they would converge again on Thursday for the next move.

Curse777:



Some people are naturally stupid

ECOWAS declared war

Not Nigeria

Not Tinubu


Economic Comiunity Of West Africa State ECOWAS


Atleast 15 members country organization declared a military exercise, yet you single out Tinubu


.

Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu is facing a huge backlash at home over his threat to use military force to reverse the coup in next-door neighbour Niger.

Local media report there was strong opposition to military intervention at a session of the upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, on Saturday, despite the fact that it is controlled by Mr Tinubu's party.

This was especially the case among lawmakers representing states along the more than 1,500km (930 mile)-long border with Niger, but there has also been countrywide condemnation of the possibility of war.

West African regional bloc Ecowas had set a deadline of Sunday for the junta to give up power - or face possible military action.

The decision was very much seen as Mr Tinubu's as he is Ecowas' current chairman, and Nigeria is its most influential member.

Although the junta has defied the ultimatum, Ecowas did not respond by immediately sending troops. This came as a relief to many Nigerians who prefer a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Some question whether a seven-day deadline was realistic given that Nigeria and other countries have to get parliamentary approval before deploying the military.

Many people are also appalled that electricity to Niger was cut on President Tinubu's orders, causing blackouts in Niger's capital, Niamey, and other cities.

Critics claim that this is in violation of a treaty that had enabled Nigeria to build a dam on the River Niger, though Mr Tinubu's supporters say the power cuts are aimed at pressuring the junta to hand back power to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, without military confrontation.

Nigeria and Niger share strong ethnic, economic and cultural ties and any military intervention against Niger would affect northern Nigeria, already facing serious security challenges of its own.

An influential group of Muslim clerics in northern Nigeria said Mr Tinubu must not "rush into an avoidable conflict with a neighbour at the behest of global politicking".

Mr Bazoum was a key ally of the West, allowing former colonial power France and the US to keep military bases in the country to help in the fight against militant Islamists wreaking havoc across much of West Africa.

The military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to the defence of Niger's coup leaders if Ecowas does use force, raising the prospect of a major regional conflict.

All eyes are now on Mr Tinubu who has been the most vocal in condemning coups in West Africa, and said last month that Ecowas cannot be made up of "toothless bulldogs".

"We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again," Mr Tinubu said, shortly after taking the leadership of the regional body.

Nigeria's constitution states that the president cannot deploy troops without the approval of the National Assembly - made up of both the upper and lower chambers of parliament.

It is unclear whether Mr Tinubu will get its support, given the opposition he is facing.

"Ecowas goofed, the Nigerian president also goofed," said Prof Khalifa Dikwa, an academic at the University of Maiduguri and a member of an influential group of elders in northern Nigeria.

In a cautious statement after Saturday's closed-door session, Senate leader Godswill Akpabio threw the ball into the court of the Ecowas parliament, saying it should provide "solutions to resolve this logjam as soon as possible".

President Tinubu's tough line against coups might be rooted in his own experience. He was barely a year in office as a lawmaker in the early 1990s before elections were annulled, parliament was dissolved and Gen Sani Abacha seized power.

He joined the pro-democracy movement that campaigned for a return to civilian rule, putting him in the crosshairs of the military that forced him into exile. He returned in 1998 after the death of Gen Abacha, one of Nigeria's most brutal and corrupt military rulers.

But there is a feeling among many Nigerians that Ecowas was too hasty in issuing an ultimatum to the junta, and President Tinubu had not given enough thought to the domestic implications of using force.

"Niger was a continuation of the northern part of Nigeria until the Berlin Conference [of 1884-1885, when foreign powers created Africa's current borders]. You expect the north to go to war against itself?" asked Prof Dikwa.

Unlike his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu does not have a military background and neither does his national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who is a former policeman.

Ecowas army chiefs issued their own statement last week, saying they saw military intervention very much as a "last resort".

Critics say Mr Tinubu has a history of rushing to make big decisions, pointing to the fact that he used his first speech as president in May to announce the ending of a decades-long fuel subsidy, in unscripted remarks which led to chaos.

Ecowas leaders will now hold a summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Thursday to decide on the next line of action.

Although some other West African countries have promised to take part in any military intervention, it is hard to see them doing so without Nigeria, if the National Assembly does not give its backing.

Mr Tinubu wears two hats - that of Ecowas chairman and Nigeria's president. The one necessitates acting in the regional interest and in defence of democracy, but it could prove very costly to the other hat.

KwuoteYourFada:
you patriotic Nigerians are the pro-war

Clown 🤡🤡🤡

Throwback:
You do not support military coup but have refused to condemn the actions of the illegal military junta and support the actions of the Nigerian government and ECOWAS leadership.

You seek to weaken both Nigeria and ECOWAS, just because your own supported candidate lost the presidential election

You only toned down your anti-government and anti-Nigeria/ECOWAS bile when I illustrated to you that what you fail to condemn now can very well happen to a future Peter Obi democratic government in Nigeria, especially when many more West African countries go the military route when they see that ECOWAS and Nigeria are too weak to punish them for their usurpation of democracy.

Remember that we are legion and when we storm the streets to celebrate the military regime that would topple such democratic government of your supported candidate, do not become a rabid democracy activist then that would be appealing to US, EU, UN, and CAF/FIFA for positive intervention.

The CAF/FIFA ban we suffered during the Abacha regime is enough for a lifetime

Throwback:
Self hating African, ponder on this.

Would a future Peter Obi presidency be allowed to complete its tenure?

Would the military that is more populated by Northerners not seize power claiming all manner of sophistry as excuse for why they had to interrupt a legitimate democratic government regardless of the local economic hardship or global economic recession that might be prevalent at that opportune time?



Would Igbos then be surprised when the majority tribes like Hausas and Yorubas are jubilating about Nigeria that the military are welcome to take over?


I repeat, would the many Obi supporters and Igbo clansmen on this forum applaud any military intervention that will terminate the legitimate democratic regime of an Igbo president?

Unfortunately, you do not have the capacity to think, to be objective, or to stand for truth.

You are only driven by hate as your name suggest.

raskymonojendor:
Small yansh dey shake

Throwback:
Is this the opinion of the legitimate democratic and constitutional government of Niger or the illegitimate military junta that has held democracy captive?

Despite the military coup in their country, Nigeriens supporting the junta have vowed to resist any external attack from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

They vowed on Monday at a protest to reject the interference of West African leaders and other foreign nations in the affairs of their country.

This came as pressure continued to mount from ECOWAS on the coupists to revert to the democratically elected government.

“If Ecowas forces decided to attack our country…(sic) they would have to walk over our dead bodies,” one of the protesters supporting the military takeover of power in Niger told CNN.

Another protester promised that Nigeriens would fight any intervention to kick out the military leaders from power.

He said the continued threats and sanctions from the West African leaders on Niger were backed by France.

“It’s France that is behind this ECOWAS that want to attack us,” one of the junta supporters said.

Air France already suspended flights to and from Niamey and other neighbouring countries after Niger announced the closure of its airspace.

Recall that Niger has been engulfed in political chaos since late last month when President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a coup d’état led by Abdourahmane Tchiani, a former head of the president’s security.

Following the development, West African defence chiefs issued an ultimatum for Niger to restore Mr Bazoum by Sunday or face further sanctions.

But the coup leaders ignored the deadline and immediately closed the country’s airspace until further notice, citing the increased threat of military intervention from the West African leaders.

On Sunday, Niger’s armed forces were said to have reinforced to the capital to prepare for a potential military intervention, after the military junta refused to abide by the regional bloc’s deadline to cede power.

At least a convoy of about 40 pickup trucks arrived, bringing troops from other parts of the country to both reassure a nervous public and prepare for potential battle.

Although, ECOWAS heads of state have announced that it would hold another extraordinary summit on Thursday to discuss the political crisis in Niger Republic.

President Bola Tinubu, in a statement, said the ECOWAS authority of heads of state would meet in Abuja, adding that discussion would “be considering and discussing the political situation and recent developments in Niger.”

https://gazettengr.com/if-ecowas-decides-to-attack-our-country-they-would-have-to-march-on-our-dead-bodies-first-nigeriens/

Air France, the French national carrier, has suspended flights to and from Bamako in Mali and Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso.

The suspension is to last till August 11.

According to Reuters, the company announced the development on Monday.

This comes a day after Niger’s military rulers announced the closure of the country’s airspace due to the “threat of intervention”.

“The closure of Niger’s airspace dramatically widens the area over which most commercial flights between Europe and southern Africa cannot fly,” FlightRadar24, a flight tracking service, said in a blog post.

“Flights must already take a detour of sorts around Libya and Sudan.

“With Niger’s airspace now off limits as well, airlines flying between Europe and southern Africa will need to reroute and add 1000 or more extra kilometers to their flights, increasing the amount of fuel each flight will need and the flight time.”

The news agency quoted an Air France spokesperson as saying that the airline expected longer flight times from sub-Saharan hub airports and that flights between Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris and Accra in Ghana were set to operate non-stop.

A spokesperson for Brussels Airlines added that flight times could be between an hour and a half to three and a half hours longer for rerouted flights and could include a fuel stop, Reuters said.

https://www.thecable.ng/air-france-suspends-flights-to-burkina-faso-mali-after-niger-airspace-closure

Nebes:
One of the reasons the colonizers had so much respect for the northern elites. They saw them as more civilized than the people of the south.

Rossikk:
This is the entrance to the palace of the Emir of Kano, and it was built in the 16th century, 400 years before British colonisation.

Look how tall the building is.

Look at the size of the woman compared to the building’s height.

That is pretty advanced civil engineering if you ask me.

And somebody has the guts to say that white people brought civilisation to us?

Seems like we were pretty CIVILISED long before they came!

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/The_Kano_State_Emirs_Palace_entrance.jpg

tsdarkside:
did you called me obi supporter....??

abomination....

Army authorities in Sokoto State have asked residents not to panic at the sounds of gunshots or troops movement, as the 8 Division Nigerian Army, Sokoto, will commence inter-Brigade Range Classification Competition.

They said the exercise was for Warrant officers and senior non-commission officers (SNCOs) at Tankwale village shooting range Sokoto, Tuesday, August 8.

Army authorities in Sokoto State have asked residents not to panic at the sounds of gunshots or troops movement, as the 8 Division Nigerian Army, Sokoto, will commence inter-Brigade Range Classification Competition.

They said the exercise was for Warrant officers and senior non-commission officers (SNCOs) at Tankwale village shooting range Sokoto, Tuesday, August 8.

The exercise will involve the movement of troops and firing of live ammunition at the range situated along Illela Road, Sokoto State.

According to a statement by Lieutenant Colonel Ikechukwu Eze, and made available to newsmen in Sokoto, the essence of the range classification exercise is to improve combat proficiency, firing skills and marksmanship of troops within the cadre of non-commission officers.

The statement urged residents and people of Tankwale village to stay away from the general area of the shooting range within the period of the exercise.

Also in the statement, the general public are enjoined not to panic at the sight of troops in and around Illela Road, Sokoto State.

Let me dispense with any political correctness and say it loud and clearly that, any attempt to invade Niger Republic by a Nigerian led ECOWAS Army in the guise of “safeguarding democracy”, will be a declaration of war on northern Nigeria and its people because we are the ones that will bear the full brunt of this misguided war. We in the region will not support any act of unprovoked aggression against Niger Republic under any pretense.

We in the north are tired of wars, we have been at war with Boko Haram for 14 years and for 9 years with Bandits and kidnappers. Thousands of our people continue to be killed and kidnapped while millions have been displaced from their ancestral homes, including the 300,000 that have sought refuge as IDPs in Niger Republic. Our economy, education, infrastructure and social fabrique have all been devastated. How can we support any foreign war when our house is on fire?

At a time when Nigeria is facing the worst insecurity of our lifetime with nauseating corruption, bad governance, youth unemployment and drug abuse, discontent of the citizenry, excruciating poverty brought about by chaotic economic policies, a military invasion of Niger Republic will be reckless with grave consequences beyond the subregion.

Instead of starting a new war, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should channel all his energy on finding ways to stop the bloodshed in our land by ending the wars on Boko Haram and Banditry as soon as possible, reconcile warring communities, resettle all IDPs and rebuild our communities and the region’s economy.

Niger Republic is a landlocked country with a total area of 1,267,000 km². Northern Nigeria shares with it a vast 1,100km long border stretching along Nigeria’s entire Northwesterly to the Northeasterly border. The seven northern states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Borno share a common religious, cultural and ethnic (Zabarmawas, Hausas, Fulanis and Kanuris) heritage with their kinsmen in Niger.

The conditions that led to the recent pandemic of military coups in the ECOWAS subregion are unfortunately present in all 15 member countries. Military coups though unacceptable and retrogressive, will continue to be a looming danger to democratic governments in the region as long as the political class continue to ignore the sufferings of their people and keep on perpetuating corruption, bad governance, flawed electoral processes, impunity that push their people deeper into poverty, hopelessness and worsening insecurity.

The Coup in Niger resulted from ethnic and geopolitical power play. The ethnic dimension is that the Zabarmawas (Zarmas) who are the second largest ethnic group (22%) after the Hausas (53%), have always dominated the military and power since independence in 1960. Military coups mostly happen each time anyone from the other ethnic groups (Hausa, Fulani, Touareg or Arab) are in power. Mohammed Bazoum is an Arab ethnic group (0.4%).

Resource control and proxy war between Russia and NATO are the geopolitical factors that are in play here. Niger is the world's seventh-biggest producer of uranium which is widely used for nuclear energy radiation, cancer therapy and in nuclear weapons.

In spite of its rich mineral resources, Niger remains one of the poorest countries in the world, it has been plagued by recurrent droughts, worsening climate change and the presence of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram. France has been exploiting the country’s rich mineral resources with little or no benefit to the country or its people.

Another natural resource in play is Nigerian Gas which is to be transported through the Trans Sahara Gas pipeline from Warri, Nigeria, and end in Hassi R’Mel, Algeria, where it would connect to existing pipelines leading to Europe. Europe sees this project as a potential opportunity to diversify its gas sources as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.

America and its NATO partners are unsettled by Russia’s inroad into Africa through the Wagner Group which is already deployed to African countries like Libya, Sudan, Mozambique, Madagascar, Central African Republic, and Mali, focusing principally on protecting the ruling elites and critical infrastructures. As payment, Wagner’s boss Prigozhin receives exclusive rights to mining minerals such as Gold.

The ECOWAS has literally declared war on Niger Republic by imposing biting economic sanctions on a country heavily dependent on foreign aid, it has ordered closure of borders with member states and imposed a no-flight zone hoping to curb the junta’s influence and hinder any potential allies from providing aerial support. The junta has also been given a week’s ultimatum starting from July 31, 2022 to vacate power or face military action.

Nigeria has unilaterally terminated the treaty between the 2 countries signed in the 60s for Nigeria to provide electricity to Niger in exchange that it will not obstruct the flow of water to the country’s hydroelectric Dams in Jebba, Kainji. This treaty has ensured that Nigeria supplied 70% Niger’s electricity. Today, Niamey, the capital city is in darkness.

While many leaders of African Francophone countries are severing ties with their colonial masters France, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his desperate desire to gain international legitimacy for his government, is blindly dragging Nigeria into the dangerous waters of the proxy war between Russia and NATO without consulting with or seeking the consent of the people or their elected representatives.

SUGGESTIONS

- ECOWAS should take off the table any threat of military action against Niger Republic because it will not achieve the desired goal.
Embark on a sincere, well thought through diplomatic option.

- Nigeriens should be allowed and supported to decide what they want for themselves.

- The Military Junta should be pressured to give clear time of transition back to democratic rule as soon as possible.

- Nigeria should restore electricity supply to Niger Republic in accordance with the bilateral agreement.

- Foreign Aid which accounts for 40% of Niger’s annual budget should be restored to prevent it from falling into Russia’s embrace.

The Trans Sahara Gas Pipeline Project should continue as contractually agreed.

- ECOWAS should insist on good governance, reduction in corruption and the respect for constituted institutions among member nations.

Finally, I call on all men and women of goodwill particularly northern elders, traditional rulers, clerics, academics, the media, elected representatives, Labour organizations, businesses leaders, student unions, women organizations and civil society organizations to say no to Nigeria being dragged into this proxy war between Russia and NATO.

Usman Yusuf is a Professor of Haematology-Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation.

Tinububalls:
Who die for Nigeria, die for nothing.

A prominent terrorism researcher on Wednesday called the recent coup in Niger a "nightmare scenario" for the United States and warned it could embolden the Wagner Group of Russian mercenaries.

On July 26, Niger President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown and detained by members of his own guard. General Abdourahmane Tchiani, the former commander of Bazoum's guard, announced two days later on state-run TV that he had assumed power.

Colin Clarke, the director of policy and research at the New York-based Soufan Group think tank, warned on Twitter that the coup and unrest in other nations in the Sahel region of Africa could provide opportunities to jihadists and Wagner.

"Rumors of a coup attempt in #SierraLeone as fears of 'coup contagion' continue to rise. What we are seeing in #Niger and the #Sahel is a nightmare scenario for the U.S.," Clarke wrote. "Concerns over spillover into coastal West Africa. Jihadis empowered, Russian mercenaries filling power vacuums."

Media outlets have reported that thousands of protesters who favored the coup took to the streets of Niger's capital city, Niamey, over the weekend. Many carried Russian flags and chanted messages of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

But Moscow has distanced itself from the coup. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week that the Kremlin hoped for the "rapid release" of Bazoum. On Monday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov furthered that sentiment by calling for "restraint on all sides."

However, the Wagner Group, which has contracts in countries such as the Central African Republic and Mali, could look to capitalize on the turmoil in Niger.

On Saturday, Reuters reported that a message posted on Telegram, believed to be from Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, praised the coup. The news agency could not confirm it was Prigozhin but said the "speaker had the same distinctive intonation and turn of phrase in Russian" as the mercenary group's leader.

The speaker congratulated Niger's military for getting "rid of the colonizers" and offered to send Wagner fighters to help restore order.

In late June, Prigozhin led a failed mutiny against Russia's military leaders, but he is said to be maintaining relations with top Kremlin officials, as evidenced by his presence during Russia's recent summit with African leaders in St. Petersburg.

In a later tweet, Clarke wrote that "we should avoid overhyping the role of Russia in instigating coups in African nations, but we also need to be careful not to underestimate Moscow's ability to take advantage of what it views not as crises, but as opportunities to project influence."

In an email, Clarke shared more thoughts on the situation in Niger. He wrote that Western countries supporting the Economic Community of West African States, a political/economic union of 15 countries in West Africa that included Niger before the coup, and "Russia supporting Niger (and Burkina Faso and Mali, if they joined in) with muscle from the Wagner Group would escalate the situation significantly."

This would "increase the chances for a broader regional conflagration," Clarke told Newsweek.

"And jihadist groups would be the obvious winners, using the turmoil to expand their reach within the Sahel, recruit new members and gain control of larger swaths of territory. I do think the chances of this are rather remote, but they aren't zero," Clarke said.

"Still, at the end of the day, the U.S., Russia, China and France all stand to lose something if the entire Sahel tips into regional state failure," he wrote.

https://www.newsweek.com/us-nightmare-scenario-niger-coup-gives-wagner-group-opportunity-1817076

General Salifou Mody, one of the Niger officers who seized power in a military coup last week, visited Mali on Wednesday, according to the Mali presidency, amid speculation of a possible interest in the Wagner mercenary group, which has a presence in the country.

Mali’s transitional president, Assimi Goïta, hosted Mody and a large Nigerien military delegation on Wednesday, according to pictures and a statement posted on Facebook by the Mali presidency.

Mody called the meeting “part of a complex regional context,” the Mali presidency said, and thanked Malian authorities “for their support and accompaniment since the seizure of power by the CNSP,” referring to the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland where Mody is vice president.

Hundreds of Wagner contractors are stationed in Mali at the invitation of the country’s military junta, to quell an Islamist insurgency brewing in an area where the borders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger meet.

Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin last week celebrated the coup in the landlocked West African country, saying his private military company could also help with situations like the one unfolding in Niger.

The dramatic ouster of Niger’s President Bazoum last week alarmed Western leaders, including the US and France, which are both key stakeholders in Niger’s crackdown on local Islamist insurgencies.

US officials have warned that the Russian mercenary group could now seek new opportunities in Niger. “I would not be surprised to see Wagner attempt to exploit this situation to their own advantage as they’ve attempted to exploit other situations in Africa to their own advantage,” State Department spokesperson Matt Miller said Wednesday.

Miller added that “any attempt by the military leaders in Niger to bring the Wagner forces into Niger would be a sign, yet another sign that they do not have the best interests of the Nigerien people at heart.”

A number of CNN investigations, and others by human rights groups, have established Wagner’s involvement in and complicity with atrocities against civilian populations in Sudan, Mali and the Central African Republic, where they have been employed to assist local defense forces against rebellions and insurgencies, and suppress opposition.

Mixed reaction
The coup has provoked a split reaction from countries in the Sahel region, where the threat of militant extremism in recent years has destabilized local governments and led to volatility.

On Monday, Mali and Burkina Faso’s governments said they would consider any military intervention “an act of war” against them and put their armies on standby.

Mali presidency’s statement said General Mody told his host he had come to explore “ways and means to strengthen our security cooperation, at a time when some countries are planning to intervene militarily in our country.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/08/02/africa/niger-coup-mali-wagner-intl-afr/index.html

Another argument that is often used, in an attempt to discredit polygyny, suggests that polygynous families come to ruin through familial problems, and somehow this proves that polygyny is wrong.  If this were a true observation, then ALL polygynist families would fail and all monogamous families would be successful.  Sound a little too simple?  Read on... Jacob is one of those polygynous families that had family problems. Jacob had four wives whom he clearly loved unequally: Leah (who he felt stuck with and considered unattractive), Rachel (his first love), Bilnah (Rachel’s maid)  and Zilpah (Leah’s maid). Leah bore him 6 sons and a daughter: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulan, and Dinah. Rachel, his first love, was stubbornly infertile, but finally bore him Joseph, and later, Benjamin. Bilnah bore him Naphtali and Dan, Zipah bore him Gad and Asher. Joseph's brothers grew jealous of Joseph, and began to hate him. His father, Jacob favored him, since he was Rachel’s oldest son. This led Joseph's brothers to plot to kill him.

Due to a desire to profit, and Reuben’s intervention, Joseph ended up being sold into slavery. There were clearly problems in this family.  There is nothing to suggest that this would not have happened in a monogamous family of twelve brothers. This was clearly an issue of a father who had a favorite son, and the rest of his sons rejected the favorite son. The text does not refer to any specific mother or, an issue of polygyny, in any way. Similar stories of sons fighting for kingship, power, or inheritance can be found all through the Bible.

Gideon's son, Abimelech, killed all but one of Gideon's sons to assume the position of King. This was not done because Gideon had more than one wife. That much is clear since Abimelech did not kill his father's other wives.  This was done because Abimelech wanted to be king.  Once again, nothing in the text refers to the issue of polygyny. I could continue to list several more examples of polygynous families with problems.  But a much quicker way to prove this theory wrong is to list just ONE polygynous family without problems. There is no mention of any familial discord in the family of Abdon (40 sons). We ought not be overly simplistic with these stories as if to say that polygamy was the problem, and the only problem, or that these things never happen outside polygamous settings. Monogamous families also have family problems and many also come to ruin. No one would dare suggest that monogamy is wrong or sinful because monogamous families have familial problems.

Looking at today's marriage failure rate, and applying the same argument, we would be led to believe that monogamy would be sinful or wrong.  We all know many monogamous relationships that end up in divorce court.  For several years I worked in divorce courts with monogamous families trying to get divorces. Not one of those families was getting a divorce because of another wife. Surprisingly, a low percentage of divorces were due to another woman. They were usually divorcing because of money problems or because the woman had found another man. To be intellectually honest, if we are going to use this argument as the basis for saying that polygynous marriage cannot be Biblical, then it must also be the basis for saying that monogamous families cannot be Biblical either. This would be a false conclusion if we applied it to monogamy.  It is just as false when applied to polygyny.

Nelson, Maurice. The Monogamy Lie!: Proof from the Bible that God did not intend "One man - One woman" (Epic Lies We All Believe Book 1) (p. 201). EMI Inc.. Kindle Edition.