afrinpost-Exclusive
Starting from Sunday, April 14, 2024, Turkish-allied armed groups have opened registration for militants to travel to Africa, specifically to Niger.
Our correspondent reported that members of the Sultan Murad militia are registering to travel at the former customs headquarters in the occupied city of Afrin and in Hiwar Kilis, near Azaz.
The Justice and Development government is keen on expanding its presence in Africa through various means, including providing aid and building mosques. On March 28, 2021, social media users circulated a video showing children with dark skin carrying bags, with a man speaking broken Arabic praising and thanking the leader of the Suleiman Shah militia, Mohammed Jassem Abu Amsha, for distributing aid. It’s worth noting that the aid was stolen from the Sheikh Hadid area, near Sheikh al-Hadid.
Turkish moves towards certain African countries have escalated with the intensification of Russian-American competition to fill the void left by French influence after the coups witnessed and the decline of French influence.
Ankara seeks to assert its presence in Niger through security missions carried out by Syrian mercenaries from the Blackwater and Wagner models, due to Niger’s rich natural resources, especially uranium.
Niger experienced a military coup on July 26, 2023, which led to the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum, an ally of France. The military council in Niger announced the cancellation of all security and military agreements with France, and the country witnessed massive protests, especially in front of the French military base in Niamey, demanding the departure of French forces.
Interestingly, Turkish presence in several African countries coincides with two main factors: first, enhancing presence in countries that have witnessed coups against ruling regimes, and second, most of these countries suffer from terrorist incidents carried out by ISIS and extremist groups.
