Thousands of people backing the coup in Niger marched through the streets of the capital denouncing France, the country’s former colonial power, waving Russian flags, and setting a door at the French Embassy ablaze on Sunday before the army broke up the crowd.

Demonstrators in Niger are openly resentful of France, and Russia is seen by some as a powerful alternative. The nature of Russia’s involvement in the rallies, if any, isn’t clear but some protesters have carried Russian flags, along with signs reading “Down with France” and supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin.

West African leaders on Sunday threatened military action against the junta that seized power last week in a coup in Niger, as protesters carrying Russian flags stormed the French embassy in capital city Niamey.

The military junta, now calling itself the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland, announced on Wednesday that it had captured democratically-elected President Mohamed Bazoum and removed his government from power, citing national security and corruption.

President Joe Biden has threatened to cut military ties with Niger if a coup against the West African democracy’s incumbent president continues, according to U.S. officials anxious to prevent his bodyguards from holding power.

A lot of Western media coverage of Niger’s coup has focused on the implications for the country’s European and American allies. But today we’re going to home in on the perhaps more important consequences for neighboring Nigeria, West Africa’s local hegemon, and its newly-elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Thousands of supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup earlier this week marched through the streets of the capital, Niamey, on Sunday waving Russian flags, chanting the name of the Russian president and forcefully denouncing former colonial power France.

Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighboring Mali, and Russian President Vladimir Putin would like to expand his country’s influence in the region, but it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders are going to move toward Moscow or stick with Niger’s Western partners.

While the international community, including many African states, have condemned the coup in Niger, Russian mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin has his own take.

In a long message posted to social media, Prigozhin blamed the situation in Niger on the legacy of colonialism and alleged, without evidence, that Western nations were sponsoring terrorist groups in the country. Niger was once a French colony and, before this week’s putsch, it had been one of the few democracies in the region.

This week's coup in Niger has set off frantic diplomacy, with Secretary of State Antony Blinken warning that the U.S. partnership with the country depends on "democratic governance and respect for the rule of law."

Niger is vital to U.S. counterterrorism efforts in Africa. It's one of the few countries in the region that has agreed to house U.S. drone bases and hundreds of American Special Forces and logistics experts, who are involved in counterterrorism operations against Boko Haram and ISIS affiliates.

Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been removed from power, according to a group of soldiers who appeared on the West African nation’s national television late on Wednesday, hours after the president was held in the presidential palace.

Reading from a statement, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, seated and flanked by nine other officers, said defense and security forces had decided: “Put an end to the regime that you know due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.”

An American aid worker who was taken captive by militants in West Africa more than six years ago has been freed, his family and the Biden administration said Monday, but the details surrounding his release remain unclear.