Niger military coup leaders led by Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, on July 26, 2023

On July 25, 2023, the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum  was overthrown by a military junta led by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchian also known as Omar Tchiani.  During protests following the coup,  hundreds of people, who supported the coup, gathered outside the National Assembly, holding some Russian flags and  hand-written signs saying: "Down with France" and "Foreign bases out".  The protesters  accused  Mohamed Bazoum of being a puppet of France's  Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan dictator Paul Kagame. 

The coup supporters were also pointing their fingers to the ruling party leaders, accusing them of corruption, ineptitude to improve the security situation  in the country and lack of the clear resolve to  fight against the jihadist insurgency that has been growing in the country for so long, despite inviting foreign troops, including the Rwandan military.

Defeated M23 Rebels soldiers in a camp in Rwanda in 2013

Over 2013 the Rwandan Government was increasingly isolated by many Western governments and African leaders over its role in perpetuating insecurity in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. 10 Years Later, the history appears to repeat itself. The question now is: are we ready for the dire dynamics in the region?

M23 Rebels in Rwanda in 2013

On Wednesday June 1, 2022, The United Nations called for effective military operations against M23 rebels, a congolese militia founded, supported, and reinforced by the Rwandan army. The call to the military response was made in Goma, North Kivu by Ms Bintou Keita, the Special Representative of the UN Secretary General in the DRC. The call follows another call from Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, the Catholic Church Leader in DRC. 

FARDC, Goma in 2013

On the night of May 27, 2022,  DRC President  Felixi Tshisekedi confirmed, during an emergency meeting with the Conseil Supérieur de la Défense (Security High Commission),  that the Rwandan ambassador Vincent Karega was summoned a day earlier. In fact, on May 26, 2022 AfroAmerica Network was first to report on the summon, as a step towards expulsion, after getting  the information and the facts from sources close to the president of DRC,  Felix Tshisekedi, and his minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula. AfroAmerica Network sources  have been closely following the dynamics of the latest securrity crisis (DR Congo: President Felix Tshisekedi Facing Serious Crisis in East Mulls Over Expelling Rwandan Ambassador Karega).

FARDC, Goma in 2013

Vincent Karega, the Rwandan ambassador in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been under consideration to be expelled from the country. The information and the fact have been communicated to AfroAmerica Network  by sources close to the president of DRC,  Felix Tshisekedi, and his minister of Foreign Affairs, Christophe Lutundula and who have been closely following the dynamics.   Felix Tshisekedi heighted the prospects to expel the Rwandan ambassador after the Rwandan special forces, wearing uniforms and under the cover of M23 rebels, who been waging war in the East, seized the FARDC  military camp  in Rumangabo and were advancing on Goma, the capital of the North-Kivu provice, in eastern DRC.  

UN-ICT - Niger Order on 8 Rwandans - 30 days extension

On February 7, 2022 the UN International Residual Mechanism fo Criminal Tribunals made a DECISION ON MOTIONS REGARDING THE RELOCATION AGREEMENT WITH NIGER AND ORDER FOR TRANSFER OF THE RELOCATED PERSONS TO THE ARUSHA BRANCH. The decision is to send the 8 Rwandans, now in Niger, back to Arusha, Tanzania.  With the decision,  the eyes have turned to Rwandans in a similar situation in Mali.