Is Wagner group now in Niger?

CAN NATO RESIST THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHALLENGE WAGNER OUTSIDE OF UKRAINE

WAGNER MAY BE MORE POPULAR IN AFRICA THAN NATO

The first videos by Yevgeny Prigozhin since his time in Ukraine have surfaced and appear to be from Niger in Africa.  It has been rumored that the coup leaders in Niger have requested aid for the Wagner group to help with their security. This video will undoubtedly be of serious interest to the French, who have almost no credibility by the people in Africa, and have been given a deadline to leave Niger. 

The ESCWA group of west African counties have pledged to return the deposed leader of Niger to power even by military force. They have threatened and oked troops assembling, but have not as yet made any assault on Niger. This group is publicly being encouraged by France, which still has around 1500 troops in Niger. While the U.S. will likely also support this, they as yet seem to be undecided as to how much support to offer. The U.S. has  a major air force base with around 1100 personnel in Niger. Both neighboring countries Burkina Faso and Mali have promised to ally with Niger in any military conflict, these counties also host Wagner forces.

The U.S. sent Victoria Nuland to Niger and was not received by the leaders of the coup, but she seemed to convey that they should not seek assistance from Wagner. France has complained that the U.S. have not supported them in this crisis. It could be that the U.S. values its new base in Niger more than its allegiance to France's economic interests in Africa.

The presence of foreign troops in Africa is supposed to be to fight and suppress the inroads of Islamic fundamentalists like Al Qaeda and ISIS. The U.S. is not hated with the same intensity as France and may be intent on focusing on the bigger picture of power in Africa.

Wagner group has a strong approval by the countries they are based in because they have been very effective in keeping terrorist's out of those countries. They have focused on helping increase security for these countries and not on perpetuating neo-colonial policies.

The question is, will the U.S. be able to co-exist with Wagner forces in these same countries, without being tempted to confront them? Did Wagner make its presence known to bait the U.S. into a confrontation that could be viewed negatively by the African populance? It is complicated situation that has the possibilities of serious consequences for Africa. The last thing Africa needs is a geopolitical struggle to break out in the continent.