The U.S. immediately called for Bazoum’s release as the U.N. and other powers condemned the apparent coup. Niger is a key ally for Europe and the U.S., which has two drone bases and some 800 troops in the country, where it has been engaged in “counterterrorism” training since 2002. Violence by armed groups has since surged throughout the region, killing civilians and displacing millions of people. It’s not clear if those behind the coup in Niger were trained by the U.S. military, which has trained officers behind recent coups in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali and other West African nations. Earlier this year, Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with President Bazoum and positioned the U.S. as a better security partner to Niger over the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which has expanded in the region in recent years. This all comes as Niger and the greater Sahel region is in the throes of a humanitarian disaster due to the ongoing conflict and the effects of the climate crisis.