U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Daniel Iannarelli explains the next phase of a field training exercise to Nigerien troops at Air Base 201 in Niger in 2022. U.S. defense officials on Tuesday downplayed the idea that American military training is responsible for a series of coups in Africa, including one in Niger in July. (Michael Matkin/U.S. Air Force)
Pentagon officials speaking to a House panel Tuesday downplayed the idea that American training was responsible for a series of coups in Africa, where several elected governments have been overthrown by the military.
Celeste Wallander, assistant defense secretary for international security affairs, said she did not see a causal relationship between such training and coups in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso over the past three years.
During the past 12 years, the U.S. has trained some 21,000 African troops in various military education programs, Wallander said.
“And of those, 20 were involved in coups, which is .01%,” she told the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Political upheaval in places such as Niger, where a July coup ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, put a spotlight on American military involvement in the Sahel region.
Given the close ties between those involved in Niger’s coup and the U.S. military, questions have been raised about the effectiveness of American training programs.
Rep. John James, a Michigan Republican and U.S. Military Academy graduate, said during the Tuesday hearing that it was concerning to see a “a revolving door of coup leaders and despots that are trained by American forces.”
Wallander responded that the U.S. training emphasizes civilian control of the military. A takeaway from the recent coups, however, is that the military must “refocus and recommit” to reinforcing that lesson with partner forces, she said.
Beyond the question of training, political turmoil in Niger has also added to overall volatility, as the country has become a hot spot for terrorism in Africa, Wallander said.
“Violent extremist organizations thrive in areas of instability and seek to leverage that instability for their own ends, as evidenced by the attacks we’ve seen in Niger since the coup,” she said.
Since the coup, the U.S. has stopped counterterrorism operations at its drone base in the city of Agadez and halted all collaboration with Niger on counterterrorism training.
There also are concerns that Russia could seek to take advantage of a vacuum left by U.S. disengagement, with the Kremlin potentially deploying private contractors or its own military trainers to Niger as an alternative.
On Monday, Russian defense officials met with counterparts in Niger. The two sides signed an agreement to boost military cooperation, the Moscow Times and Agence France-Presse reported this week.
Mercenaries from Russia’s Wagner Group have long been active in Africa and operate in nearby Mali.
Unlike Moscow, the U.S. is limited in its ability to coordinate with Niger, given that according to U.S. law, a coup triggers a mandate that foreign aid to the country at issue be curtailed. That could mean a loss of influence for the United States.
“We also cannot afford to compromise our regional influence and security partnerships, which are threatened by competitors who are less concerned with democratic values and human rights,” she said.
But Wallander didn’t detail how the U.S. can maintain its influence in places like Niger if it is sidelined by U.S. regulations.
