After Russia and Iran, Serbia hosts leader who overthrew the pro-Western leader in Niger

Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, who came to power in a coup after overthrowing Western-backed leader Mohamed Bazoum, has embarked on a trip to visit several of his allies. He started with Russia to strengthen military ties and then plans to go to Iran and Serbia, writes The Geopost.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk hinted on Tuesday, Jan. 16, that Moscow was interested in expanding trade, economic and investment ties and trade flows with Niger, according to Russia’s Sputnik.

Overchuk made the remark during a meeting with Nigerian Prime Minister Zeine, who is in the Russian capital as part of an international trip to identify opportunities and diversify the West African country’s partners. The high-ranking Russian official explained that further joint steps are needed to develop partnerships in such promising areas as agriculture, energy, infrastructure and geological research.

Zeine arrived in Moscow late Monday, January 15, accompanied by a high-level delegation consisting of the ministers of defense, oil and gas, agriculture, trade, youth and sports.

Russia is using the opportunity to strengthen cooperation with the leader, who came to power in a military coup and has no support from the West.

Russia is the first part of the tournament. Zeine is also expected to travel to Turkey, Iran and Serbia.

Relations between Russia and Niger have developed rapidly under Niger’s new government, a junta that took power on July 26 after ousting its elected, Western-backed leader Mohamed Bazoum.

Bazoum was overthrown by the head of the president’s personal guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani, in a coup that was condemned by Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Western countries, including former colonial power France.

Western powers and democratic African governments demanded last August, when the coup began, that the coup leaders reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, whom they had banned since July 26, but the military leaders refused and were not persuaded even when negotiations were attempted.

Mohamed Bazoum and his family are being held by the new government in Niger. Last month, the court of the West African regional bloc Ecowas ruled that the detention of the Bazoum family was arbitrary. It ordered their release and the reinstatement of Bazoum as president.

The military junta ignored the decision and said there would be a transition of up to three years to civilian rule./The Geopost/