Is Russia proving better at protecting friends than fighting enemies in West Africa?

Niger's government is facing threats on two fronts: extremist militant groups attacking the state, and grievances within its armed forces responsible for fighting them. Africa Corps may have helped contain the latter this past weekend, but it has yet to resolve the former.Unlike Wagner mercenaries, whose status in a private military company allowed Moscow some deniability, Africa Corps is more clearly an instrument of the Russian state."The whole point of Africa Corps is that it brings the power back under the control of the Russian Ministry of Defence," said Boswall.Officially, its forces are deployed to help Sahel governments combat Islamist militant groups.But dissidents contemplating moves against military governments elsewhere in the Sahel region may now have to factor Russian forces into their calculations.Despite the struggle to contain the jihadists, no-one anticipates Africa Corps leaving the Sahel any time soon. Keeping those governments in power protects Russia's investment."Wagner - and now Africa Corps - have always had a very transactional interest in Africa," Boswall said."If they can get mineral resources in exchange for providing protection and defence, then they w...