Post #310

⚔️Niger Under Attack Insurgents in Niger cannot sleep without thinking about oil (just like me, frankly). 🌟 Rebels from Niger's MPLJ movement, which seeks to restore the previous political order under President Bazoum — ousted in July 2023 — are intensifying attacks on the oil assets of the Chinese company CNPC. 💥 This night a video has appeared allegedly showing an explosion at some oil facility in the Agadem area, followed by MPLJ’s claim of responsibility. How serious the damage is and what exactly is blowing up in the footage remains unclear. ⏩A similar video surfaced already in November, where the same forces also attacked, again at night, what was believed to be a pipeline linked to the same oilfield. The rebels’ main demand is that the Chinese stop supporting Niger's ruling regime. ⏩ For the Chinese, this is essentially usual working environment. Even before the recent operations of MPLJ, the same pipelines had been blown up by other groups, and in February, a local ISISaffiliate even kidnapped two CNPC employees. 🔸 Since Niamey can hardly survive without oil, they will cling to the Chinese with both hands, protecting the black gold at all costs. 🌑 In this particular case, the repeated night attacks may indicate that MPLJ still lacks the strength for something bigger — or that expelling or even insulting CNPC seriously is not the real goal. Someone may simply want a share of the oil revenues. Devils Below