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Johnson characterized the threat of intervention in the crisis by ECOWAS, which has slapped sanctions on Niger and threatened to intervene with a 25,000 troop-strong invasion force, as a “very dangerous” but simultaneously ridiculous development, since the regional bloc has no real justification to intervene.
CIA Veteran: Nuland’s Niger Trip Meant to ‘Intimidate’, ‘Threaten’ New Government
8 August 2023
Niger’s government was overthrown by the military last month. On Monday, Victoria Nuland met with members of the new government for talks. What does the arch-neocon’s visit mean for the West African nation’s future? Sputnik reached out to CIA veteran Larry Johnson and geopolitics professor Pierre-Emmanuel Thomann for answers.
Acting deputy secretary of state Victoria Nuland traveled to Niamey, Niger and met with acting Nigerien Defense Chief Moussa Salaou Barmou and his deputies on Monday for what she later described as “extremely frank and at times quite difficult” talks.
The visit, coming one day after the deadline set forth by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to the new authorities to cede power back to President Mohamed Bazoum or face a military intervention, was unusual, in that previous military takeovers and takeover attempts in the landlocked West African nation in 2021, 2010, 1999 and 1996 did not see anywhere near the same level of attention from high-ranking Western officials.
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