"Wagner" taking advantage of instability in Niger after coup - Blinken
Antony Blinken said this in an interview with the BBC, Ukrinform reports.
"I think what happened, and what continues to happen in Niger was not instigated by Russia or by Wagner, but... they tried to take advantage of it," Blinken said.
At the same time, Blinken noted that the United States was concerned that the "Wagnerites" could "possibly manifesting itself" in some parts of the Sahel region.
The American diplomat added that wherever the Wagner PMC goes, "death, destruction and exploitation" comes, and that "insecurity has gone up, not down".
Blinken said that Niger is now a "repeat of what's happened in other countries, where they (Yevgeny Prigozhin's mercenaries - ed.) brought nothing but bad things in their wake".
As Ukrinform reported, a group of military officers in Niger announced the removal from power of democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his government.
Ukraine's former Ambassador to France Oleh Shamshur said on Tuesday that in the event of an armed conflict in Niger, the putschists may be explicitly or implicitly assisted by mercenaries of the Wagner PMC, as Russia is interested in overthrowing the legitimate government.
