Rising discontent with military juntas in the Sahel region

When military juntas took control in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, they alleged that civilian leaders were colluding with their former colonial power, France, to exploit natural resources. Following the coups, which took place between 2021 and 2023, civilians protested by displaying Russian flags and burning French ones.

However, a recent investigative report suggests that support for the juntas is dwindling due to their failure to deliver on promises as well as the harsh tactics employed by Russian mercenaries against the civilian population. Evelyn Groenink, coordinator of ZAM, a Dutch media platform, told DW: "The first slogans, 'Russia out,' have appeared on the walls of the Russian office in Niger. It's a sign that a debate is taking place."

ZAM published an investigation titled "Hotel Kremlin," in which three African investigative journalists, Malick Sadibou Coulibaly, Ramdane Gidigoro, and Rachid Zaid Combary, went undercover in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, respectively. The report painted a grim picture of life under military dictatorships in the Sahel.

"It is 7 p.m. Everything is dark here. The lights are out due to almost continuous power cuts. Energie du Mali (EDM) has not provided power for 24 hours. This has been a recurring event for several months," wrote Coulibaly.

The reports described how Malians, Nigeriens, and Burkinabes had hoped for positive change in their lives after the ousting of the civilian governments and their Western supporters. The juntas promoted Russia's notorious Wagner mercenary group, now known as Africa Corps, as a better alternative to French troops, promising they were capable of swiftly eliminating terrorist groups, bandits and jihadists in the Sahel.

In their investigation, Coulibaly, Gidigoro, and Cambary found instead that civilian and military casualtieswere increasing. Coulibaly reported that one of the morgues in Bamako was full, with a guard stating that 200 bodies of civilians and soldiers were brought in between March and May. Among the public, patience is wearing thin in the capitals of the three countries – Bamako, Niamey and Ouagadougou. 

A pact on defense and trade

To counteract regional sanctions imposed after the coups, the military regimes of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger signed a confederation treaty on mutual defense and trade on July 6. Known as the Alliance of Sahel States, this agreement formalized their departure from the West African economic bloc ECOWAS.

The agreement reflects a shift in regional dynamics, with the member states seeking closer ties with Russia and distancing themselves from former colonial power, France. The confederation also opposes neocolonialism and expressed strong anti-ECOWAS and anti-French sentiments.

Many in the region welcomed the deal. However, it has shown no sign of bringing economic prosperity to the people across the three borders. According to Coulibaly, the visible evidence of prosperity in Mali is evident on the road to the garrison town of Kati.

"Here, new houses for the colonels have recently sprung up like mushrooms, and construction is still ongoing... Junta member Colonel Sadio Camara is feeding several horses in his yard. He even has two stables while we are struggling to survive," he wrote. 

Crackdown on dissent

The investigation found that citizens, opposition politicians and journalists in all three countries have become cautious about speaking out against the juntas. Reports of crackdowns on opposition, media and peaceful dissent have increased.

The government in Burkina Faso is accused of using abductions and enforced disappearances to silence civil society activists and political opponents. There have also been reports of it using emergency laws to conscript critics and suppress dissent.

In Mali, the junta banned media coverage of political parties and suspended their activities, marking a significant crackdown on political dissent.

In Niger, specific recent reports are less detailed, but the general trend in the region suggests similar patterns of repression and control over opposition and media.

These actions have raised significant concerns among human rights organizations and the international community.

The resentment against France is deeply rooted in the failure of Paris to assist its partner governments in their "anti-terrorism" fights. According to investigations, Russia has utilized such resentment to wage disinformation campaigns.

"The campaigns simultaneously touted the Russian paramilitary force Wagner's supposedly successful role in combating banditry and terrorism in Mali," according to the ZAM investigation. "But Russia's paramilitary brigades have not made the Sahel safer at all."

Wagner fighters have been linked to several civilian massacres in Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. "In northern Mali, they terrorize, rape, and commit numerous atrocities," Coulibaly told DW.