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131 Comments

  1. Assembling some reports and a preliminary speculation:

    “In 2023, the military of Niger successfully seized power in a coup, sparking a diplomatic crisis. After an emergency summit on 10 August 2023, ECOWAS authorized an armed intervention in Niger to restore the country’s elected government.[40] Ecowas activated its standby force, ECOWAS military chiefs meet on 17–18 August to discuss potential intervention in Niger where all members beside Cape Verde would contribute forces to the standby force…”–Wikipedia

    “Wagner is reportedly in talks with the military junta in Niger that is looking to raise forces to supress a jihadi insurrection that has been plaguing the country for years. Prigozhin talked about Russia’s role in making the continent ‘free’.” –MSN.COM

    Then this: https://nypost.com/2023/08/23/russian-dissident-yevgeny-prigozhin-reported-dead-after-a-plane-crash-outside-moscow/

    One can only speculate, however video I have seen of the plane crashing indicates it was not a question of structural or mechanical failure, but a shoot down over Russia. The plane fell like a winged rock. It did not appear to have any holes in it. Seems like the kind of thing that could be done with the same kind of weapon that lately lit Maui on fire. As with the “ambiguous” Nordstream pipeline explosion, Western news outlets are quick to point the finger at Russia, and we know how that worked out then. What better way to teach Moscow a lesson than knocking one of its military missions over its own airspace?

      1. For those still thinking Putin ordered the blowing up of Wagner leader Prigozhin’s plane, please read these excerpts from UK’s Independent:

        “Our belief is that Russia wants to get a base here and to be popular. It’s obvious they want to be here,” Niamey tailor Baraou Souleimanin told The Associated Press. Since the coup, he said he’s sewn more than 150 Russian flags in a month.

        “We pray that Allah strengthens the relationship with (Wagner) to continue the deal. If the relationship is good and strong, it’s possible they’ll continue with the deal even after his death,” he said Thursday.

        Wagner’s role will continue even if Prigozhin is dead, experts say

        (Razgruzka_Vagnera telegram channel)
        Sam Rkaina26 August 2023 13:20
        3 hours ago
        Putin ‘will try and bring Africa closer’
        But some in the Central African Republic denounce the mercenaries, and the U.N. peacekeeping mission there criticized them in 2021 for human rights abuses.

        “A state’s security is its sovereignty. You can’t entrust the security of a state to a group of mercenaries,” said Jean Serge Bokassa, former public security minister.

        Nathalia Dukhan, senior investigator at The Sentry, predicted the Kremlin will try to bring Africa closer into its orbit.

        “Wagner has been a successful tool for Russia to expand its influence efficiently and brutally,” she said. “In the midst of all the turmoil between Putin and Prigozhin, the Wagner operation in Central Africa only deepened, with increased direct involvement by the Russian government.”

        High-ranking Wagner operatives have built relationships in Mali and the Central African Republic and understand the terrain, said Lou Osborn of All Eyes on Wagner, a project focusing on the group.

        “They have a good reputation, which they can sell to another Russian contender. It wouldn’t be surprising if a new organization took them over,” Osborn said, noting that Russian military contractors in Ukraine, such as Redut and Convoy, have recently expressed a desire to do business in Africa.

        .

        Sam Rkaina26 August 2023 13:00
        4 hours ago
        Africa ‘vitally important to Russia — economically and politically’
        This summer, Wagner helped secure a national referendum in the Central African Republic that cemented presidential power; it is a key partner for Mali’s army in battling armed rebels; and it contacted the military junta in Niger that wants its services following a coup.

        Expanding ties and undercutting Western influence in Africa is a top priority as the Kremlin seeks new allies amid its war in Ukraine, where Wagner forces also helped win a key battle. Africa’s 54 nations are the largest voting bloc at the U.N., and Moscow has actively worked to rally their support for its invasion.

        Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said Friday that Wagner’s forces “are destabilizing, and we’ve encouraged countries in Africa to condemn their presence as well as their actions.”

        On Thursday, the Republican Front in the Central African Republic, allied with the ruling party, reiterated its support for Russia and Wagner, saying they were “determined to fight alongside the African people as they struggle for self-determination.”

        Wagner forces have served as personal bodyguards for President Faustin Archange Touadera, protecting the capital of Bangui from rebel threats and helping secure a July 30 constitutional referendum that could extend his power indefinitely.

        Central African activist and blogger Christian Aime Ndotah said the country’s cooperation with Russia would be unaffected by new leadership with Wagner, which has been “well-established” there for years.”

        It seems like Prigozhin was on an authorized mission from Moscow, which opposed ECOWAS, clearly a CIA project.

    1. This is infuriating. And the Police Chief is also the Coroner! Is that true? Does anyone know?

  5. Catherine,
    I received a renewal e-mail from Solari this morning.
    I thought it was curious, so I checked out my account (I did not use their link). My subscription is up for renewal in April (not August), as I thought.
    I thought you should know. I can forward it to you. I also took a screen shot.

    1. I received similar message. Did the subscription went up in price? Thinking or not to renew. Lots of information is visually out there and there are too many un-known for the general public to make any difference at this point.

      1. Deepest apologies. We were testing new subscription software. One of the developers made a mistake. The result was approximately half the subscribers got an expiration notice. Just ignore. False alarm.

        1. I got the same message but it was explained quickly. All ok.
          A good friend in LA told me there were 1000’s of troops in LA and many highways were shutdown. She questioned it and wondered if it was something else going on and the ‘hurricane’ was an excuse. She called it a ‘brainstorm’ rather than a ‘rainstorm’. Not a deluge of rain at all but all the talking heads including Newsom of course were there.

      2. The price is still the same.
        I love Solari. I’m a lifer. Or until Trudeau cuts us off at the knees. Which might be at the same time.

  7. Can you please renew my subscription, I think its due end of this month or a few days before. Please check and let me know.
    Jutta Woods

    1. Send this in to Customer Support. You may have gotten one of the faulty expiration notices. Deepest apologies if that is so. Software developer made a mistake a sent out false notices.

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