Despite news of the likely death of Russian mercenary head Yevgeny Prigozhin, residents in Niamey remained hopeful on Thursday that the Wagner mercenary force would aid in the region.
After the coup at the end of July, Nigerien tailor Baraou Souleimane began manufacturing Russian flags and voiced his desire for Moscow to intervene in the region.
“If the friendship is good and robust, it’s feasible that they’ll keep the agreement going even after his (Yevgeny Prigozhin) death,” Souleimane added.
As pro-Russian sentiment grows, he claims to have sold roughly 150 flags so far.
Russian flags have been seen lately at various pro-coup rallies across the country.
In a Niamey street, Russian flags are easy to find, while French flags seem to have disappeared.
“There won’t be any problems, they can come, there won’t be any problems, and we wish for them to come,” said local resident Oussman Diafar.
Prigozhin and some of his top lieutenants were presumed dead in a plane crash on Wednesday.
