Niger coup: Wagner taking advantage of instability - Antony Blinken

Russia's Wagner mercenary radical is "taking advantage" of instability successful Niger, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the BBC.

The state has been ruled by a junta pursuing the ousting of President Mohamed Bazoum astir 2 weeks ago.

Mr Blinken said helium did not deliberation Russia oregon Wagner instigated Niger's coup.

However the US was disquieted astir the radical "possibly manifesting itself" successful parts of the Sahel region, helium told the BBC's Focus connected Africa programme

"I deliberation what happened, and what continues to hap successful Niger was not instigated by Russia oregon by Wagner, but... they tried to instrumentality vantage of it.

"Every azygous spot that this Wagner radical has gone, death, demolition and exploitation person followed," said Mr Blinken.

"Insecurity has gone up, not down".

He added that determination was a "repeat of what's happened successful different countries, wherever they brought thing but atrocious things successful their wake".

Wagner is believed to person thousands of fighters successful countries including the Central African Republic (CAR) and Mali, wherever it has lucrative concern interests but besides bolsters Russia's diplomatic and economical relations.

The group's fighters person been accused of wide quality rights abuses successful respective African countries.

Despite this, determination has been speculation Niger's service has asked Wagner for assistance arsenic the state faces the anticipation of subject intervention.

Ecowas - a determination bloc of 15 West African states - issued a Sunday deadline to Niger's junta leaders to basal down and reconstruct President Bazoum.

This deadline was ignored and Ecowas is owed to clasp a gathering connected Thursday to determine connected what to bash next.

On Monday, US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland held what she described arsenic "difficult and frank" talks with the coup leaders, whom she said understood the risks of moving with the mercenaries.

Mr Bazoum, who is presently successful captivity, has besides spoken of his concerns astir Wagner's power successful Africa.

"With an unfastened invitation from the coup plotters and their determination allies, the full cardinal Sahel portion could autumn to Russian power via the Wagner Group, whose brutal coercion has been connected afloat show successful Ukraine," helium wrote successful an opinion portion for the Washington Post published past week.

It is presently unclear if Wagner fighters person entered the state but the salient Wagner-affiliated Telegram transmission Grey Zone said connected Monday that immoderate 1,500 of its fighters had precocious been sent to Africa.

It did not specify wherever connected the continent they had allegedly been deployed.

Wagner's leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin has urged the junta to "give america a call" successful a dependable connection uploaded to Telegram connected Tuesday.

"We are ever connected the broadside of the good, connected the broadside of justice, and connected the broadside of those who combat for their sovereignty and for the rights of their people," helium said.

The 2 countries, which are some suspended from Ecowas, sent a delegation to Niger's capital, Niamey, to reassure the coup leaders they volition travel to their defence against the different West African nations and their Western allies if needed.

"I would similar to punctual you that Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger person been dealing for implicit 10 years with the negative... consequences of Nato's hazardous escapade successful Libya," Mali authorities spokesperson Abdoulaye Maiga said during the visit.

"One happening is certain, [Mali's] President Goita and [Burkina Faso's] President Traoré person intelligibly said no, nary and no. We volition not judge subject involution successful Niger. They are coming for our survival."

Meanwhile, Niger's junta has appointed the country's erstwhile concern minister, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, arsenic the country's caller premier curate pursuing the coup.

Mr Zeine replaces Mahamadou Ouhoumoudou, who was successful Europe during the coup.