In July last year, an unexpected coup in Niger ousted President Mohamed Bazum, and since then the former leader has been detained in his two-room apartment, cut off from the world, still refusing to write a letter of resignation, but seemingly off the radar of the international community. Following the coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea (Conakry), the regional organisation ECOWAS reacted very strongly to this interruption of democracy in Niger. In addition to immediate sanctions, ECOWAS leaders seriously discussed military intervention in Niger. Believing that the regional organisation was under the influence of France and exerting pressure on Niger, the military government took to the streets and targeted the former colonial power, forcing the French ambassador and French troops to leave the country in a hurry. The military threat of ECOWAS did not bring any results, in fact it backfired, bringing the three putschist Sahel countries closer to each other; it led to the birth of a defence alliance between them (Alliance des États du Sahel). In other words, ECOWAS was given the message: “If you intervene in Niger, you will find the armies of the three countries against you”.
ECOWAS’ problem : Keep the putschist governments from breaking away from the organisation
One year on, the balance has shifted considerably; in recent weeks ECOWAS has been doing its utmost to ensure that the three coup countries do not leave the organisation, as their departure would be a devastating blow to regional economic integration efforts. In addition to Togo’s President Faure Gnassingbé, Senegal’s newly inaugurated leftist and “panafricanist” leader Diomay Faye is also making efforts to keep the three coup countries in ECOWAS. In such a conjuncture, at a time when Niger was distancing itself from both the West and regional co-operation, the visit to Niamey of a high-level delegation in which only President was missing, has attracted a lot of media attention.
Wagner’s footsteps are heard as France and the USA leave
It should be recalled that Niger’s military leadership, a few months after the French, also notified Washington to close its bases and withdraw its troops. The US military base in Agadez in the north of the country is widely recognised as the largest base in North Africa in terms of intelligence and UCAV firepower. We know that another factor that triggered the US troops to leave Niger was Niamey’s rapprochement with Russia. Although still far from the level in neighbouring Mali, it has been reported in the foreign press that Wagner elements are still circulating in the capital Niamey.
Does Turkey want to do in Niger what it did in Somalia?
In a conjuncture in which Niger, under the leadership of General Abdurrahman Tchiani, in the year following the coup d’état, carried its relations with France and the USA to zero point, became closer to Russia, challenged ECOWAS, and recently suspended oil shipments due to tensions with neighbouring Benin, through which it ships and exports its oil, it was announced by Anadolu Agency on the occasion of the Turkish delegation visiting the country that the two countries would cooperate in the extraction of oil and natural gas. Considering the presence of the Minister of National Defence and the Minister of Defence Industry in our delegation, it is highly likely that steps have been taken on the training of Niger soldiers by the Turkish Armed Forces on the one hand, and on the other hand, the sale of Defence Industry products to the Niger army and training in the use of these products. Considering that Turkey sells UAVs, UCAVs, helicopters, training aircraft (Hürkuş) and armoured military vehicles to all Sahel countries and that there is an increasing demand from the region in this direction, we reach this conclusion. I have read several times that the locally produced Hürkuş has been exported to Niger and other countries in the region with machine guns, rocket launchers, etc. mounted on it. Can Turkey take the place of France and other EU countries providing training to the Niger army? Can it be concluded that since we did this military training in Somalia, we can also do it in Niger? If the Turkish Armed Forces has additional capacity in this direction, it is possible. If one of the military bases vacated by France or the USA is allocated to Turkey for military training purposes, we will witness the opening of a new page between Turkey and Niger. We recall that the legal basis for this high-level comprehensive military cooperation was established with the military framework agreement of 2017 and the military training agreement that entered into force in 2021. If the cessation or lack of military intelligence provided to Niger by the US and France through their military bases in the past years constitutes a security weakness for Niamey, the supply of this basic need by Turkey can easily be included in this cooperation. The crux of the matter is whether Turkey has the necessary and sufficient capacity in this direction. Let us not forget that our Embassy in Niamey currently consists of a hardworking ambassador and a narrow political staff of 3-4 people in a modest rented building.
SUMMA stands out when Turkey is mentioned in Niger
When we look at Turkish investments in Niger, where there is also a hospital operated by our Ministry of Health, we come across Summa, which stands out with its successful projects all over Africa and Venezuela. Summa, which built the Niamey airport, has also undertaken the operation of the airport, one of the three major hotels in the capital is owned by our company, and the 170 km long road between Doutchi-Tsernaoua (Nigerian border) has been completed by our company. It is known that Summa’s attempt to extract gold in the country was disrupted due to the lack of necessary security conditions and these activities were suspended. If, as a result of our high-level visit, it becomes possible to provide the necessary security environment for Summa’s gold extraction activities, Turkey will also take a step in the field of mining in Niger. A recent BBC report claimed that anti-regime militias from Idlib (Syria) were being transported to Niger via Turkey. Assuming that this rather weak unconfirmed claim is true, it is conceivable that these militias could be employed to ensure the security of the areas where gold will be mined.
Is Niger the Last Stage in the Turkey-France Rivalry in Africa?
In Niger, which was included in the agenda of our country with the last visit, the military government is trying to ensure political-economic stability and determine the direction of the country after the coup d’état. For the last year, we have been witnessing the efforts to fill the void left by the withdrawal of Western states and international organisations from Niger. While it was a shared expectation that the European Union led by France and the United States would be replaced by Putin’s Russia through Wagner, as in neighbouring Mali, the 17 July 2024 visit of Turkey signalled that Turkey would be another important partner and actor in Niger. At the end of 2017, Russia took its first step into Africa through the Central African Republic, supplying security and offensive power on the one hand, and gaining power by exploiting mineral and other natural resources on the other. Chad is the next country to be targeted. In the light of these facts, let us not take the 17 July visit out of its scope. Let us see that the arm wrestling in the Sahel is between France and Russia. Let us not fall for exaggerated statements that Turkey is replacing France in the region.
