VOA新闻杂志2023 尼日尔政变或引发西非动荡

Wednesday's attempt by military members to seize power in Niger puts the West African country's security into question.

星期三，尼日尔军方试图夺取政权，这让这个西非国家的安全受到质疑。

A group of soldiers said late Wednesday they had ousted¹ democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum.

一群士兵星期三晚些时候表示，他们罢免了民选总统穆罕默德·巴祖姆。

Earlier Wednesday, however, the president's Twitter account released a message saying he and his family were safe.

然而，周三早些时候，总统的推特账户发布了一条消息，称他和他的家人都很安全。

It said other military members planned to support the president.

推文写道，其他军方成员计划支持总统。

The leadership situation in Niger creates a question of what will happen to the West African country that is campaigning against religious extremism.

尼日尔目前领导层的情况引发了一个问题，即这个正在反对宗教极端主义的西非国家将会发生什么。

Western nations, including France and the U.S., have considered Niger to be a democratic ally.

包括法国和美国在内的西方国家一直将尼日尔视为民主盟友。

Both countries have about 1,000 soldiers in Niger.

两国都有大约1000名士兵驻扎在尼日尔。

The soldiers are there to support the country if it is attacked by Islamic extremist fighters.

如果这个国家遭到伊斯兰极端分子的袭击，驻扎在那里的士兵们会支持它。

France has been active in the area, offering similar support to the nearby countries of Mali and Burkina Faso.

法国在该地区一直很活跃，它也向马里和布基纳法索等邻国提供了类似的支持。

The French soldiers, however, left Mali in late in 2022 after tensions with the country's military leadership.

然而，在与马里军方领导层关系紧张后，法国士兵于2022年底离开了马里。

U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, visited Niger in March.

今年3月，美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯访问了尼日尔。

He called the country a "model of democracy."

他称这个国家是“民主的典范”。

Blinken announced $150 million in aid while he was there.

布林肯在访问期间宣布美国援助尼日尔1.5亿美元。

The military leaders of Mali and Burkina Faso use the Russian Wagner Group for military support.

马里和布基纳法索的军事领导人利用俄罗斯瓦格纳集团提供军事支持。

The concern is that Niger will do something similar, removing any western influence from the area.

令人担忧的是，尼日尔也将会做类似的事情，以从该地区消除任何西方的影响。

Paul Melly is an Africa expert at the Chatham House research group in London.

保罗·梅勒妮是伦敦查塔姆研究所非洲问题研究小组的专家。

Before the military action on Wednesday, he said Niger had been open to working with international partners.

在周三的军事行动发生之前，他说尼日尔一直对与国际伙伴合作持开放态度。

"So, quite a lot is at stake here," he added.

他补充道：“因此，这里的情况难以预料”。

Melly pointed² to one important difference between what is happening in Niger and other nations in the area whose leaders have been ousted.

梅勒妮指出了尼日尔和该地区其他领导人被赶下台的国家之间的一个重要区别。

In Guinea, Mali and Burkina Faso, the people on the streets supported the military coup³.

在几内亚、马里和布基纳法索，民众走上街头支持军事政变。

In Niger, Melly said, that was not what happened.

梅勒妮说，在尼日尔，情况并非如此。

People were supporting Bazoum, the president.

人们支持总统巴祖姆。

Western nations are concerned about Niger because they have used the country as an operations base in actions against extremist fighters.

西方国家担心尼日尔，因为他们将尼日尔视作打击极端主义武装分子的行动基地。

The concern is that a leadership change in Niger will limit what western countries can do to fight terrorist groups in West Africa and the Sahel.

令人担忧的是，尼日尔领导人的更迭将会限制西方国家在西非和萨赫勒地区打击恐怖组织的能力。

The Sahel is the area south of the Sahara Desert.

萨赫勒地区是撒哈拉沙漠以南的地区。

In 2021, the United States said it had supported Niger with over $500 million of military aid and training since 2012.

2021年，美国表示，自2012年以来，它已向尼日尔提供了超过5亿美元的军事援助和培训。

Earlier in 2023, the European Union started a $30 million training program in Niger.

2023年早些时候，欧盟在尼日尔启动了一个耗资3000万美元的培训项目。

The U.S. is known to have a drone base it uses to fight militant⁴ extremists in the northern part of Niger.

众所周知，美国在尼日尔北部有一个无人机基地，用于打击激进的极端分子。

John Manley is a spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command.

约翰·曼利是美国非洲司令部发言人。

He said it is too soon to know how the coup attempt in Niger will affect U.S. activities in the country.

他说，现在要知道尼日尔的政变企图将如何影响美国在该国的活动还为时过早。

Other African nations say they are worried that fighting in the northern part of West Africa will move south.

其他非洲国家表示，他们担心西非北部的战斗会向南转移。

Omar Touray is president of the ECOWAS Commission.

奥马尔·图雷是西非经共体委员会主席。

ECOWAS is the economic group formed by 15 West African nations.

西非经共体是由15个西非国家组成的经济组织。

Touray recently told the United Nations that extremist fighting could move into Ghana and Ivory Coast if Niger loses western support.

图雷最近告诉联合国，如果尼日尔失去西方的支持，极端分子的战斗可能会进入加纳和科特迪瓦。

West African nations say there were about 1,800 extremist attacks this year resulting in almost 4,600 deaths – mostly in Burkina Faso and Niger.

西非国家表示，今年发生了大约1800起极端主义袭击事件，造成近4600人死亡，其中大部分发生在布基纳法索和尼日尔。

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。