Yahaya Oumarou, a tailor from Niger, carefully stitched together pieces of white, blue, and red fabric to form the three horizontal bands of the Russian flag.
Since President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by the military late last month, the flags have been in high demand, which has led to some Russian backing among the masses that cheered the revolution.
It is concerning for Western powers who see their influence waning in some longtime regional partners since it parallels similar outpourings of pro-Russian enthusiasm following recent military takeovers in other West African countries.
Oumarou, who works in the nation’s capital Niamey, claimed that he had produced dozens of these since the coup.
He claimed that the flags of Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali, which are nearby and had experienced military coups as well since 2020, were also much-liked.
In West Africa, anti-French sentiment has risen along with support for Russia.
Since taking power in 2021, Mali’s junta has abandoned France and is now working with Russian mercenaries to quell a terrorist insurgency in the Sahel.
During the violent anti-French protests that followed the country’s second coup, which occurred in September 2022, Burkinabe citizens also waved Russian flags.
“I came today to buy fabrics for the Russian flag because I’m a fan,”
“I was unfamiliar with the Russian flag before the coup d’état. Okacha Abdoul-Aziz, a native of Niamey who participated in pro-junta demonstrations after the military seized power, remarked that it is actually a fashion statement.
