Instructing African Militaries on Best Coup Practises

"Canadian special forces will remain in Niger even though the military it has been involved in training booted out the country's democratically-elected government."

"The small team of special forces members will no longer train members of Niger's military, according to a statement from the Canadian Forces."

"'They are conducting planning for future activities in the region including liaison and coordination with African and Western nations', the statement added."

"Canadian special forces did not provide further information or answer questions about why the team needs to remain in Niger if it was planning for future activities in other countries. Details on what African and Western nations the special forces team was coordinating with were not provided by the Canadian military."

David Pugliese, journalist, Ottawa Citizen

Special forces from Niger are mentored by a Canadian special operations officer, right, near Jacqueville in Ivory Coast. The Canadian forces have been training Niger’s military for the past decade, with as many as 50 Canadian soldiers deployed to Niger every year.  Cheick Sylla/The Globe and Mail

Niger, whose military has been assiduously trained in best military practices by Canadian special forces, no longer has a civilian government elected by the people for the people. In the summer the military used its newfound expertise to launch a coup, expelling the democratically elected government from power and itself taking the reins of government. Although it had originally stated it would govern for a very limited time, then call an election to reinstall a civilian government, that has not yet taken place and likely will not.

As the new government, however, it took action it deemed required to reflect the nation's new orientation. Starting with the severing of defence ties with the European Union and electing instead to boost cooperation with Russia, As well, the military in Niger elected to invite 1,400 French troops to leave Niger. Meanwhile about a thousand American soldiers remain in Niger, no longer training its military. When the U.S. government officially recognized the Niger coup U.S. law restricts provision of military training and equipment.

As for Canada, it has been tardier in accepting the military takeover, only recently noting a coup has taken place with the military seizure of power and imprisonment of the country's former president. Training teams of around 50 members were up to then sent to Niger annually, including special forces and army personnel, Canadian Special Operations Forces Command (CANSOFCOM) had been assigned that responsibility in 2019.

For over a decade Canadian special forces have been involved in the U.S.-led Flintlock training exercises throughout Africa, where they have trained troops from Niger through five various Flintlock exercises. Strangely enough, African soldiers trained through American and allied special forces at Flintlock have taken to launching coups removing civilian-elected governments in their home nations and taking government powers for themselves.

Military officers who launched the July Niger coup were well trained at Flintlock exercises, as were officers from Burkina Faso and Mali who also removed their elected governments to take power themselves. Rolling Stone magazine outlined a number of African coups led by militaries trained by U.S. forces in Africa, included as part of Flintlock exercises. 

CANSOFCOM officers were not particularly taken with published material by a professor at Queen Mary University of London, U.K. Professor Jeremy Keenan had noted that Niger's military was linked to atrocities against regional civilians. Particularly, that Niger's human rights commission linked Niger's military to the execution or disappearance of 170 civilians.

A 2014 file photo shows a Canadian Special Operations Regiment instructor teaching soldiers from the Niger Army how to properly search a detainee in Agadez, Niger, during that year's Flintlock exercise. Photo by U.S. Army photo