Niger’s president hid behind a bulletproof door of his official residence and talked over a phone he assumed was monitored. The U.S. has spent more than $500 million arming and equipping Niger’s military. After coup leaders in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso shifted toward Russia, Bazoum made clear he stood with America. Some of Niger’s military leaders saw him as an interloper with an Arab background. Gen. Omar Tchiani had protected Niger’s leaders for 12 years, with a unit of some 700 elite soldiers backed by armored cars.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 06, 2023 03:12 UTC