The USA Supports ECOWAS

🌍 The USA will stand with the democracies of West Africa, and support the decisions made by ECOWAS and the African Union. We will not, however, use military force to restore the Niger government. We wish to help West African nations become politically stable by promoting and encouraging democracy and civilian rule. We wish to establish a new security community with the democracies of West Africa to help them with counterterrorism efforts, anti-corruption efforts and the other security challenges they face. But the USA can not become the "policeman of Africa." This would be perceived as neocolonialism and it would generate strong anti-American sentiment among some groups in the region, which we do not wish to do. I believe most West Africans prefer a West African solution.

It is quite clear that Russia is heavily engaged in influence campaigns in Niger and the rest of the Sahel, and they are promoting anti-French sentiment throughout the region. Some civilian groups equate the military junta with Russia. This is obvious to anyone observing the Niger protests because of all the Russian flags waved by junta supporters. Not only that, the Kremlin-funded Wagner Group was cheering the junta on and immediately offered their support and services to the junta after the coup d'état. Russia is promoting anti-democratic sentiment, and destroying Africa's democracies. We are opposed to Russia's negative influence in the region and their efforts to destabilise Africa.

xo