What’s tragic about the coup in Niger

Niger’s coup last month was the eighth military takeover in Africa since 2020. Most occurred in West African states, which have faced rising extremist violence for years. Niger was among them. Affiliates and offshoots of both al-Qaida and the Islamic State found fertile ground in impoverished and neglected communities in Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. They’ve been met by armies supplied and strengthened by Western powers hoping to stem the tide of terrorism in the region. The United States and France were the primary partners, providing weapons, military education, combat training, int...