Coup in Niger

Coups are not new to west and central Africa; the military takeover of power in Niger last week is the seventh such event in the region since 2020. But the latest, which saw the overthrow of Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum by the commander of his presidential guard Abdourehamane Tchiani, is important in that it is seen as a blow to Western efforts to tackle Islamic insurgency, and judging from some responses may emerge as another chapter in the proxy war between Western countries and Russia-backed mercenaries.