The United States’ “grand plan” with its drone base in Niger is to “reoccupy” Africa with “its vassal friends” like France, Koffi Kouakou, an African analyst and senior research fellow at the Center for Africa-China Studies at the University of Johannesburg told Sputnik’s Fault Lines on Thursday.
“The US [isn't] going to leave easily. The US is not going to cut and run because there's this big ego at play [in] geopolitics [and] geoeconomics, but also hegemony,” Kouakou explained. “Those who haven’t been paying attention should pay attention.”
“The key issue is [the] US’s grand plan to get [Africa] back, with its vassal friends to reoccupy this place.”
Kouakou asserted that top US officials in Africa, including Africa Command General Michael Langley, US Ambassador to Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee meeting with Nigerien leaders shows that the US is seriously concerned about its interests in the region.
But Niger is capable of facing “the American bulldog” and “raising its sovereignty” because it has somebody backing it, that “could be Russia.”
“We already know that Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine was in Russia last week cutting deals with the Russians. [That is] showing that Niger [has] a brother or somebody backing it up,” Kouakou explained. “These are the most important geopolitical issues.”
Nigerien officials have “no clue” of what is going on in US bases in the country, the two official ones base 101 and base 201, or the unofficial CIA base outside of Dirkou, Kouakou said. However, they won’t take on the US directly, Kouakou argued. “They’ll do very small [actions], slowly digging into the US’ powers. And then, the best attack is [against their] reputation, as they’ve done to the French. They will do it again to the Americans.”
Kouakou noted that the US delegation didn’t inform the Nigerien government what it wanted to talk about before arriving or give them an opportunity to adjust the agenda. “[The] hubris that the US has and this sort of ‘we are the big dog in place, we’re going to tell you what to do and agenda item one we’re going to be discussing so and so, agenda number two we’re going to discuss so and so and you have nothing to say about it,’” Kouakou said, describing the American attitude. “Of course, the Nigeriens didn’t agree.”
“In fact, [the US] wanted to sort of renew this partnership, especially about the bases, without even telling the Nigeriens,” Kouakou explained. “But now, this government is saying ‘we now want to have our sovereignty. We want to deal with different partners as we wish. And even if we were to sell anything or partner with Iran, Russia, China or anybody else, it’s our business. You don’t have to tell us what to do.’ But of course, the US officials didn’t like that. Molly Phee didn’t like it, she threatened the delegation and said ‘If you don’t retract what you said in public, you’re going to be in big trouble in the next coming months.’”
Kouakou listed the tools in the US playbook that are typically used against governments they oppose. “There are a couple of things that all of us are looking forward to seeing: an increase in terrorism in Niger, a potential ‘color revolution’ or coup d’état, or potential assassination of the leaders of Niger.”
“The big bully doesn’t threaten people just by chance,” he said.
There are concerns that Niger could turn into another Vietnam for France and the US, serving as another proxy war against Russia.
“[The US] invested a huge amount of money in this place. They’re not going to leave easily. However, where the Nigeriens have a point is ‘You’ve been there since 2012, but terrorism is still there. What have you done for us to deal with terrorism, if terrorism was really the reason for your presence on our occupied ground?’” Kouakou said, noting that Mali has done “a fabulous job” with the Africa Corps in combating terrorism. “There was no terrorism in the area until 2011 when the US and, now let’s say NATO, bombed Libya to smithereens and destroyed it. Now this whole place is running amok with terrorist groups.”
“I think Niger is now winning the information war,” Kouakou concluded, “but this is exactly our concern because the US is going to retaliate one way or another.”