Musings From Abroad

US lawmakers divided over plan to withdraw troops from Niger Republic

Published

7 months ago

October 27, 2023

The United States Senate has rejected legislation seeking to have President Joe Biden withdraw American troops from Niger Republic.

The West African country is the latest in the league of states under military interregnum after officers seized power in July, following similar developments in neighbouring Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.

Although US officials indicated there were no intentions to reduce the number of US troops in Niger, a suspension of aid was however announced.

Washington has been strongly involved in the battle against Islamist terrorists who have murdered hundreds and uprooted millions more in Africa, with its Department of Defence employing over 1,000 people nationwide.

One of the supporters of the bill, Republican Senator Rand Paul, claimed that the troops had been wrongfully deployed without permission from Congress and that Americans should not have to worry about becoming enmeshed in the fighting in Niger.

“With the Middle East on fire, what sense does it make to have over 1,000 troops in Niger? Does it make sense to station over 1,000 troops in a country ruled by a military junta?” Paul said in a Senate speech.

Meanwhile, Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin argued that the US withdrawal from Niger could leave a vacuum that could be filled by Russia or its partner, Wagner mercenaries.

“We do not give enough attention to that part of the world. We certainly don’t want to signal that we’re abandoning that part of the world,” Cardin said.

In the last ten years, American forces have run two military camps in Niger, one of which is used to launch drone attacks on the Islamic State and an Al Qaeda offshoot in the area, and trained Nigerien forces in counterterrorism.

Related Topics:#NIGER REPUBLIC Featured US

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Musings From Abroad

China’s Hailiang, Shinzoom to establish vehicle battery installations in Morocco

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

Hailiang and Shinzoom, Chinese car battery makers, will establish two separate operations in Morocco as the country strives to adapt its burgeoning automotive sector to rising demand for electric vehicles, Moroccan officials announced on Tuesday.

Tanger Tech, the Moroccan northern industrial zone’s development authority, said Hailiang intends to establish a $450 million copper facility on a 30-hectare plot of land. Shinzoom, a subsidiary of Hunan Zhongke, plans to invest $460 million in an anode plant spanning 20 hectares, according to a statement.

In April, the Moroccan government approved Chinese electric battery company BTR New Material Group (835185.BJE)’s plans to build a factory in Tangier to manufacture crucial component cathodes.

Another Chinese firm, CNGR Advanced Material (300919.SZ), plans to develop a cathode plant in Jorf Lasfar, 100 miles south of Casablanca, where the government has set aside 283 hectares for electric battery sectors.

Last year, the Moroccan government and China’s Gotion agreed to examine establishing an electric vehicle battery plant in the country, with a potential investment of up to $6.3 billion. Last month, Industry Minister Ryad Mezzour told Reuters that the Gotion project was moving forward, with conversations over its footprint and location.

Morocco’s strategic location on the Strait of Gibraltar, free trade agreements with important EU and US markets, and existing automotive sector cluster all attract Chinese enterprises.

In 2023, the automotive sector topped Morocco’s industrial exports with $14 billion, a 27% increase. Morocco is home to Stellantis (STLAM.MI) and Renault (RENA.PA) production factories with an annual combined capacity of 700,000 automobiles, as well as a network of local suppliers.

Musings From Abroad

Prince Harry, Meghan treated to street-style dances in Nigeria as their trip winds down

Published

6 days ago

May 13, 2024

Ifeoluwa Dada

On Sunday, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan were treated to street-style dances in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, where they announced a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the non-profit Giants of Africa, which utilizes sports to empower young people.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are making their first visit to Nigeria, where they were welcomed by the country’s chief of defence staff. The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, where Harry participated in ball-bouncing drills and shot a hoop.

“What you guys are doing here at Giants of Africa is truly amazing,” he said. “The power of sport can change lives. It brings people together and creates community and there are no barriers, which is the most important thing.”

The couple watched basketball practice at Ilupeju Senior Grammar School on Lagos Mainland, and Harry stepped on the court for some ball-bouncing drills and to shoot a hoop.

Former Toronto Raptors star Masai Ujiri, president of Giants of Africa, wished Meghan a happy Mother’s Day and said his organization was uniting communities and uplifting young people through sport, especially. Archewell Foundation and Giants of Africa will construct a basketball court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja.

“Talk about full circle again – never did I think we would be able to be here all those years later supporting the expansion of this incredible organization,” she said.
Harry and Meghan were set to round off their Lagos trip by attending a reception for a local charity. The couple live in the United States with their two children after Harry gave up working as a member of the royal family in 2020.