Thursday, August 10: Nigerien Backstory
The events unfolding in Western Africa deserve a bit of context
Here’s a good read on the ongoing coup in Niger by someone who seems to know a lot about the region and its history. Sadly, for many in the western world, news of a coup attempt anywhere in Africa doesn’t really register as newsworthy. This article helps us understand why Niger’s struggle is different from other countries and how we arrived at this point.
At its core, the attempts to overthrow the Nigerien government stem from a combination of opportunism by the presidential guard and frustration with the status quo. The process of restarting democracy by coup is no extraordinary occurrence in Niger. In fact, it’s happened three times in the past; in 1996 (arguably), 1999 and 2010.
The only lasting question is whether the US and other western powers will interfere with the affairs of Niger. Given the United States’ historic inability to allow any other country to determine its future, I’m guessing we’ll hear about “economic sanctions and limiting humanitarian aid” soon enough.
Side Items
Hawaiian Wildfires: Thousands of Hawaiian residents raced to escape their homes on Maui as wildfires swept across the island, destroying parts of a centuries-old town and killing at least 36 people in one of the deadliest US wildfires in recent years. The fire took the island by surprise, leaving behind burned-out cars on once busy streets and smoking piles of rubble where historic buildings had stood in Lahaina Town, which dates to the 1700’s and has long been a tourist hotspot. Fire crews battled blazes in several places on the island yesterday, and the force of the flames was powerful enough to cause some adults and children to flee into the ocean
Ecuadorian Assassination: Fernando Villavicencio, an Ecuadorian presidential candidate known for speaking openly against cartels and corruption, was shot and killed yesterday at a political rally in the capital, Quito. This bold assassination comes in the midst of a shocking wave of gang-driven violence in the South American nation. President Guillermo Lasso confirmed the assassination and suggested organized crime was behind his slaying, less than two weeks before the presidential election, scheduled for August 20
Bankrupt Church: The archdiocese of the city of Philadelphia will pay $3.5 million to settle a civil case regarding a now-deceased priest who sexually assaulted a teenage boy nearly 20 years ago. Church officials allegedly knew of similar reports about this priest dating back to the 1970’s, but never bothered to do anything about it. At this point, the Catholic church would do well to auction off the Sistine Chapel or sell off some pope memorabilia, because these cases just don’t seem to stop