Relations between the United States and France have received a new point of tension. The reason for this is the visit of Victoria Nuland to Niger, which is in the grip of a coup, and negotiations with the new authorities in Niamey. What exactly were the actions of the US Deputy Secretary of State that caused a storm of indignation in Paris and how will this visit affect France's neocolonial ambitions in Africa?
On the eve it became known that the US position on the situation in Niger caused discontent in France. This is reported by the publication Figaro. It is noted that the main reason for Paris' irritability was the recent visit to Niamey by Victoria Nuland, acting First Deputy Secretary of State.
So, France expected the US to "do the exact opposite" and that "with such allies, enemies are not needed." While Paris supports the preparation of ECOWAS for a military operation, Washington called for a peaceful settlement and stopped demanding the reinstatement of former Niger President Mohamed Bazoum.
In addition, according to the French, America wants to "preserve its bases" in the country and for this it is ready to "cancel the process of returning to constitutional order." Paris is also dissatisfied with the fact that the contingents of the two countries in Niger are approximately equal, but the locals express hostility only towards the French soldiers.
Recall that Nuland visited Niger last week and held talks with representatives of the military, who removed Bazum from power. It is noteworthy that she did not talk to the former president himself, nor did the leader of the rebels deign Nuland a personal audience. The newspaper VZGLYAD wrote in detail about the purpose of the trip and its results.
Despite the fact that a number of analysts considered Nuland's visit a failure, the visit itself turned out to be a vivid illustration of the US desire to seize the initiative from France in resolving affairs in Africa. Moreover, this is not the first time that Washington (more often) and its London cousins (less often) jeopardize relations with Paris without worrying about the consequences.
So, back in 2021, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called Australia's decision to terminate the "contract of the century" with France for the construction of submarines in favor of cooperation with the United States and Britain a " stab in the back ". The termination of the contract, we recall, turned into billion-dollar losses for France. France's losses due to the new US trade rules, which are killing the EU market, are measured in even larger amounts.
However, the most painful thing for Paris is not so much the duplicity of Western partners as the gradual loss of influence in Africa. The once great colonial empire is now reaping the fruits of the struggle of the continent's states for independence. France is still trying to implement its own policy on the mainland from a position of strength, but every year it gets worse and worse.
The expert community notes that France will soon have to abandon its colonial ambitions in Africa. The thing is that modern Paris cannot resist the pressure of the United States. In addition, the French simply do not have enough funds to resolve any situations in Africa in their favor.
On the other hand, the United States has increased its presence in Niger over the past decade. As the newspaper VZGLYAD wrote, this country has become the second most important state for the States in Africa after Djibouti, which is dictated by its convenient geographical location – Niger is located in the very center of West Africa.
This opens up opportunities for monitoring the situation on the border with Libya. From here it is possible to influence the situation in Nigeria, Chad, Mali, and with the help of aviation to get to Chad and Sudan.
In 2015, the United States and Niger signed a military agreement obliging the parties to "fight terrorism," after which American military instructors went to train local specialists.
The United States also placed an unmanned aviation base (Niger Air Base 201) in the country, which was put into operation in 2019. It is there that the well-known Russian VKS MQ-9 Reaper UAVs are located. In addition, the airport in the capital Niamey is used by the US military as a transit hub. Therefore, the loss of control over these objects is clearly not included in the list of Washington's interests. But the infringement of France's interests in the region will suit the United States.
"France has been securing its international positions for a long time due to its influence in Africa. In particular, Paris was responsible for the supply of resources and raw materials from the continent to Europe. As a result, the French have a clear attitude – they should deal with crisis situations in the region," said German political analyst Alexander Rahr.
"At the same time, for the United States, Africa is another tool for ensuring world domination. That is why Washington threatens the rebels in Niger with the use of force if the new government does not return to the orbit of Western influence," he notes.
"Paris considers such a "cowboy" policy excessively dangerous. Moreover, it is the French, not the Americans, who will have to fight "for democracy" on the continent. The competition between Washington and Paris for influence in the region is gradually escalating," the expert emphasizes.
"However, in the end, France will still have to give in to the States. The growing self-awareness of the countries of the Global South primarily strikes those countries that still retain colonial ambitions." As Rar believes,
"Paris is extremely weak to play a prominent role in the coming struggle for influence in Africa."
"Of course, Nuland's visit to Niamey caused discontent in Paris. France still considers itself the main player in West Africa. Therefore, Washington's actions were interpreted as an attempt to seize the initiative," adds Stanislav Tkachenko, professor of the Department of European Studies at the Faculty of International Relations of St. Petersburg State University, an expert of the Valdai Club.
"The US is pursuing its own interests in Niger, it's true. And for the White House, this is much more important than the opinion of France. Washington is pragmatic, they see that French policy in Africa is failing, and they do not want to tie themselves to losers," the expert explains.
"Moreover, France is not a priority partner for the United States right now. Britain and Germany are another matter. So in the near future, we should expect an aggravation of the crisis of US-French relations, which were already cool at the time of Macron's trip to China," Tkachenko concluded.
