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One World with Zain Asher
Niger Political Crisis Grows; Top Kremlin Ally Once Again Makes A Nuclear Threat; ISIS Claims Responsibility For A Massive Suicide Attack In Pakistan; Typhoon Pummels Through China Causing Massive Flooding; White House Closely Monitoring Abduction Of American Woman And Child In Haiti; Audience Member Throws A Drink At Cardi B During Performance; Naomi Girma Wins Rookie Of The Year, Now Playing In The World Cup. Aired 12-1p ET
Aired July 31, 2023 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:00:00]
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ZAIN ASHER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Hello everyone. I'm Zain Asher in New York and this is One World. The political crisis in the West African nation
of Niger is growing. The military junta that seized power is accusing France of organizing a strike to free ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
On Monday morning, they claim they arrested at least six members of Bazoum's party. A day earlier, furious protesters attacked the French
embassy in Niamey, and thousands of pro-coup demonstrations showed their support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. In the meantime, the
President of nearby Chad traveled to Niger's capital to meet with Bazoum and coup leaders. Niger's ousted prime minister says a resignation from the
ousted leader is unlikely.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OUHOUMOUDOU MAHAMODOU, NIGER'S OUSTED PRIME MINISTER (through translator): This is a seizure of power by force. It is not a voluntary departure of the
President, so there is no reason to talk about this resignation issue. He is a great fighter. He is a seasoned trade unionist and also, as you know,
he is someone who is always outspoken. So, if he is optimistic about the situation, you would better believe it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: CNN's Larry Madowo joins us now from Nairobi, Kenya. So, we're hearing that several of Bazoum's political allies have been arrested. What
more do we know on that front and on where President Bazoum is?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, it appears that the military junta is detaining members of President Bazoum's party and his cabinet. At least
four ministers, including the petroleum mining ministers have been arrested -- the head of the party. We saw for instance last week -- we saw some
people set fire to the party headquarters. So, that's one development.
The other one is, I think President Bazoum could still be inside the Presidential Palace. And right now, we're in the war, a war of words
between the military junta in Niger and the French.
Could it devolve into a full-scale military confrontation? Hard to tell because the military junta claims that several former cabinet ministers,
people who are affiliated to President Bazoum, have been meeting with the French and they've signed documents to authorize France to carry out
military strikes to free President Bazoum and reinstate him. They say the foreign minister acting as the head of government and the head of the
National Guard have signed these documents. And France is now responding.
I want to read a bit of this statement for you, Zain. France said, "It recalls that it recognizes President Mohamed Bazoum and the democratically
elected institutions as the only legitimate authorities in Niger. Our priority is the safety of our nationals and our holdings which must not be
the object of violence in accordance with international law".
But this does not help President Bazoum's case because many people on the streets, those who've been marching against France, see him as an ally of
the West, of France and therefore, a puppet of France.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MADOWO (voice-over): Angry Nigerians smashing windows of the French embassy in the capital, Niamey. Thousands of people outraged at the country's
former colonial power, a day after it suspended aid and financial support for Niger with immediate effect. Down with France, some said, condemning
French support for ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
Unable to get into the heavily protected compound, a window is set on fire and a French flag trashed, a common sight since Wednesday's military coup.
Security forces eventually deployed tear gas to disperse the protesters. France warned it would retaliate immediately and in a strict manner in case
of any attacks against its embassy, nationals, army or diplomats, the Elysee Palace is saying on Sunday, adding that President Emmanuel Macron
will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests.
The military junta that ousted the West African country's democratically- elected President, keen to show France and the world that it has the backing of the public.
MAMAN SANI, PROTESTER (through translator): We also came out to tell this little Macron from France that Niger belongs to us.
[12:05:00]
It's up to us to do what we want with Niger, what we want. We deal with who we want and how we want. We are for me support for the army.
MADOWO (voice-over): A sea of people outside Niger's parliament denouncing France and some raising Russian flags. Long live Putin and long live
Russia, the protesters say, demanding that foreign armies leave the country. France has about 1500 troops in Niger, a key ally in the fight
against terrorism in the Sahel. The U.S. has about 1000 troops in the country involved in counterterrorism operations.
UNKNOWN (through translator): As citizens of Niger, we are against French bases, American bases, Canadian bases, Italian bases. All the bases that
are in Niger, we don't need them.
MADOWO (voice-over): The head of the presidential guard, General Abdourahamane Tiani, deposed his boss and declared himself Niger's new
leader om Friday, saying he will suspend the constitution, in rule with the so-called National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland.
UNKNOWN (through translator): They're really brave, and I support them 100 percent. We have really suffered a lot. We have suffered a lot, because
they are our children. A lot of blood has been shed in Niger. We want peace. We want peace.
MADOWO (voice-over): In neighboring Nigeria, an emergency summit of the Economic Community of West African states, ECOWAS. Regional leaders
announcing sanctions, including closing borders, a travel ban, a no-fly zone, freezing assets and a deadline. ECOWAS has given the Niger junta one
week to reinstate President Bazoum or threatened to take all measures to restore his government.
OMAR ALIEU TOURAY, ECOWAS COMMISSION PRESIDENT: Such measures may include the use of force. To this effect, the Chiefs of Defense Staff of ECOWAS are
to meet immediately."
MADOWO (voice-over): But many protesters on the street don't want any ECOWAS military intervention or involvement. And the military junta says
it's ready.
AMADOU ABDRAMANE, COLONEL-MAJOR, NIGER MILITARY JUNTA CNSP (through translator): We once again remind ECOWAS and those who wish to adventure in
this of our firm determination to defend our country.
MADOWO (voice-over): And the mediation effort is the most important here now. That's why you see the transitional President of Chad, Idriss Deby,
traveling to Niamey, meeting with General Abdourahamane Tiani, who now declares himself president, as well as the man he deposed, President
Mohamed Bazoum, the first time we've actually seen him since he was deposed. To the answer to your question, Zain, he appears to be still in
the presidential palace. He's receiving calls, the French are saying they've been able to speak to him, so many other world leaders.
And this situation with General Tiani actually receiving President Deby and talking, they said they had in-depth discussions, but no white smoke, so no
resolution out of this conflict, which puts the ball back in ECOWAS' court. They have to figure out how can they negotiate out of this, or will they
actually make good on their threats to deploy militarily in Niger, like they've done once before in the Gambia. Zain.
ASHER: Yeah. In the meantime, it's the ordinary Nigerian people who suffer, you know, especially as a result of aid being suspended. All right, Larry
Madowo for us there. Thank you so much. Ukrainian President --President Vladimir Zelenskyy says a war is returning to Russia.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: His comments came Sunday just hours after a drone attack on Moscow. A business center in the Russian capital was damaged. Earlier on Monday, a
pair of missiles slammed into an apartment complex in a university building in the central Ukrainian city of Krivyi Rih. At least six people were
killed and dozens more injured in the strikes, as according to a local official.
Meantime, a top Kremlin ally is once again making a nuclear threat. Dmitry Medvedev says Russia may be forced to use that option if Ukraine's
counteroffensive does succeed. Our Nick Paton Walsh has been on the frontlines of Ukraine and is taking a look at the particular brutality in
the attack on Krivyi Rih.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Zain, what's particularly startling about the attack on Krivyi Rih is the number
of injured here. Yes, the death toll has risen to six, and we understand that includes a 45-year-old mother and her 10-year-old daughter, but there
are 75 people injured. Local officials saying that includes six children.
An apartment block appearing to be one of the targets, although it's always unclear if Russia means to hit something or is simply just indiscriminately
firing into civilian areas. A woman in the neighboring block saying her husband inside their apartment knocked off his feet by the shock waves.
Unfortunately, their child was in the enclosed bathroom in a nearby technical college where the laboratory was hit. There was nobody in it.
Another woman describing how they had very little time at all to even respond to any sirens.
So, Krivyi Rih, a large sprawling industrial town quite far from the front lines at this point, is also the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr
Zelenskyy.
[12:10:00]
So, while this sort of attack is relatively common, there may be some symbolism in the Russian bid to try and inflict damage there today, as of
course it comes after Sunday's attacks on Moscow's upscale Moscow city district.
It's important to point out, too, in the attack on Moscow, nobody was even injured, yet the psychological damage, the symbolism of that upscale
district where glass towers, sort of, form of wanna-be Wall Street for Russians. That glass shattered by what Russian officials said were three
drones. One of them intercepted, two of them taken down by electronic warfare.
And so, Russians who in the elite perhaps had hoped the war was something the poor would fight for them that wouldn't impact on their lives. Now,
seeing that very much coming home, Zelenskyy himself saying the war was going back to Russia's territory gradually. But the damage done in Krivyi
Rih in Ukraine here, emblematic of what Russia's been doing persistently throughout this war but particularly shocking levels of injured today,
Zain.
ASHER: ISIS is claiming responsibility for a massive suicide attack in Pakistan. At least 54 people, including 12 children, were killed when an
explosion ripped through a political rally on Sunday. At least 100 others were injured. The rally was being held by an Islamist party that is part of
Pakistan's coalition government.
Massive flooding from a powerful typhoon has forced more than half a million people from their homes in China, including tens of thousands in
Beijing alone. Now, a second approaching storm is threatening to cause even more damage. Typhoon Doxori made landfall on Friday killing at least four
people. Officials say that number could still rise as its early days. It's the strongest storm to hit China since 2006.
This was the scene, what you're looking at here, this was the scene in Beijing where cars were literally swept away, carried away, pretty much a
lot of them underwater there due to rushing floodwaters. The capital received a month's worth of rain in just two days.
Jennifer Gray is at the CNN Weather Center. So, Jennifer, I mean, here's the thing. You've seen these extreme weather events in China, especially
this summer, whether it's heat waves or whether it's this typhoon. And then now, another hurricane-level storm is on the way, as well. Just walk us
through what people there are going through.
JENNIFER GRAY, CNN Meteorologist: Right. We have had just the past few months of very extreme weather across portions of China, as you mentioned,
extreme heat. And now, we're dealing with extreme rain. So, the remnants of Doxori is headed to the north.
So, for the most part, the rain has wrapped up for that area, but all eyes are on the secondary system that's also very strong. But there's a lot of
uncertainty in what this one's going to do, so it's too early to tell exactly where it's going to go, but it is a huge concern and we'll walk you
through it.
Right now, we're looking at rainfall totals from 250 to 350 millimeters and just in 48 hours' time. And as you mentioned, that was about a month's
worth of rain and just a 48-hour period and rivers were swollen. We had water just rushing down, carrying off cars, debris, as well as small homes
and shacks just going down the river. And so, we had very dangerous situation unfold right around Beijing.
Now, moving forward, the bulk of the rain is going to stay across northern sections of China. What's left of that storm, the remnants of the storm is
well to the north. We're looking at Beijing to see anywhere from, say, 25 to 40, maybe 50 millimeters of rain for areas around Beijing, and then
much, much heavier rainfall, 150 to 200 millimeters of rain for areas to the north. The second system, Zain, is going to stall out, and so could be
just off the coast of China in the next couple of days.
ASHER: All right. We'll keep an eye on it. Jennifer Gray, live for us there. Thank you so much. A property manager at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago
resort has made his initial court appearance. This was a scene a short time ago as Carlos De Oliveira left the courthouse.
He was released on $100,000 bail. He's accused of being part of Trump's alleged scheme to hide evidence and classified documents from the federal
government. Prosecutors say Trump asked De Oliveira to destroy video footage of boxes being moved around Mar-a-Lago. They also say that De
Oliveira repeatedly lied when authorities questioned him about the investigations.
CNN's Randi Kaye is live for us outside the courthouse. So, he's left. He's on his way home after posting that $100,000 bail. But just talk to us about
who he is. I mean, this is very much a background employee at Mar-a-Lago, somebody who rose through the ranks as a maintenance worker, a valet worker
before becoming property manager. And now he finds himself in the center of this storm, being accused of lying to authorities and also obstructing
justice, as well.
[12:15:00]
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, absolutely Zain. He was a low-level maintenance worker, has been working at Mar-a-Lago for about 20 years and
worked his way up through the ranks and became the property manager. But you know, we have talked to people, both current and former Trump aides and
allies, who frequent Mar-a-Lago and nobody really seemed to know who he was.
We were told that he didn't really interact with club members. He wasn't part of the former president's inner circle. He wasn't privy to high-level
conversations. But now he is in the middle of this federal case. And today, we got our first glimpse of him in court here behind me. And he showed up
wearing a suit. He was with his Washington, D.C.-based attorney.
He gave his name to the judge. The judge asked him after, as he read the charges to him, if he understood those charges. He told him that he had the
right to remain silent and the right to have a lawyer, as well. And then he did tell him that he would be released on this $100,000 bond. But what's
interesting is, he did say that he has a passport, which was expired, Zain, but the judge said he still had to turn that over within 48 hours.
He also told him that he could not leave the area of South Florida without permission and that he could not speak to any of the witnesses in this case
who have been identified by the government. He did not enter a plea, it's worth noting. He will do that on August 10th when he has a Florida-based
attorney. He would need a Florida-based attorney in order to enter a plea for him. The attorney with him today was from Washington, D.C. Zain.
ASHER: All right, Randi Kaye, live for us there. Thank you so much. And despite the mounting legal issues facing Donald Trump, at least one new
survey shows that he continues to be the runaway choice of Republican voters when it comes to 2024, being their 2024 presidential nominee. A poll
by the New York Times and CNN College finds Trump with more support than all of his rivals combined.
There he is with more than half the support among Republican voters. The result is especially disappointing for Trump's rival, Ron DeSantis who
finds that even if all the other candidates dropped out, DeSantis would still be losing to Trump by more than 30 points.
All right, still to come every year, thousands of people put their lives at risk to find a better life for many. Their destination is the U.K. Well,
look at why they take this perilous journey. We also have details of a new technology that could save lives of those who take that dangerous trip. But
is it being used?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE POLGLASE, CNN PRODUCER: If we have this technology, why are people dying?
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[12:20:00]
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ASHER: In just the past week, nearly 200 migrants have been found crossing the English Channel bound for the U.K. These sorts of journeys are
incredibly dangerous. Globally, one in every 77 people are forced to flee their homes and take refuge in neighboring countries. However, some risk
life and limb to go further. So, why the U.K.?
Well, there are several reasons, like, of course, better work opportunities, study as well. The Red Cross says that some people already
have family there and they know that when they reach the U.K., they can likely speak the language which, of course, makes things easier. But
sometimes that hope for a new life is extinguished pretty quickly with many not reaching their destination at all.
The British government is ramping up measures to deter migrants from crossing the Channel from France and a controversial new law has been
passed that will include criminalizing anyone who seeks asylum there in this way. The country has also invested millions in high-tech surveillance
to spot small boats. Despite this though, a CNN investigation found no evidence it was used during the deadliest incident in the Channel last
year. CNN's Katie Polglase reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
POLGLASE: It's three in the morning on the 14th of December 2022 in the middle of the English Channel. A fisherman has spotted multiple people in
the water and is trying to haul them out.
RAYMOND STRACHAN, FISHERMAN: It was pitch dark. It was a very cold night, minus one, minus two, and there was a lot of screaming.
POLGLASE: In total, they rescue 31 people from the sinking vessel, including two Afghan boys just 12 and 13 years old.
STRACHAN: And if we wasn't (ph) there, everyone of them will probably die.
POLGLASE: U.K. authorities arrive later and rescue eight more. Four die in what becomes the worst migrant tragedy in the Channel that year. But
officials had been informed of the incident nearly an hour earlier.
UNKNOWN: Please help our -- we children and family in a boat. Please, we are in the water.
POLGLASE: And just before 2 AM, the boat had made a distress call here to Utopia 56, a French migrant charity that passed it on to the French and
U.K. authorities. The French coast guards say the boat is undetectable on shipping radar, but estimate it will shortly cross into British waters.
Now, CNN has found that at the time of the incident, the U.K. government had expensive A.I. technology designed to spot these boats, and knowing
that the vessel was soon entering their territory, and that there were people freezing in the water including children, they could have sent this.
A Takeva AR-5 drone designed to detect small boats and capable of deploying a life raft. It's licensed by the U.K. government. Even the British prime
minister proud to show it off.
CNN has established it flew over the same area where the distress call was made on multiple previous journeys. It even flew the day before and after
the incident, but not in the hours the vessel was sinking. Instead, it took more than an hour for the first U.K. lifeboat to arrive, in which time a
fishing crew rescued the majority on board.
VOICE-OVER: We must stop the boats.
POLGLASE (voice-over): This tech forms part of a campaign of deterrence and hostility by the government towards those attempting to reach British
shores. Millions of pounds have been spent on AI cameras trained to find rubber dinghies, some able to see beyond U.K. waters, drones with automatic
identification abilities. Companies tout their life-saving capabilities. Footage from these drones is also being used to identify those driving the
boats and prosecute them for human trafficking. A new bill will take it even further, criminalizing anyone who seeks asylum in the U.K. this way.
PETRA MOLNAR, HUMAN RIGHTS AND MIGRATION LAWYER: Yes, technology could very easily be used for search and rescue, for finding boats faster, for
preventing these horrific disasters. But, unfortunately, the reality on the ground is the opposite. It's assisting powerful actors to be able to
sharpen their borders, make it more difficult for people to come, and again, using surveillance for this kind of ends.
POLGLASE (voice-over): And it follows a global trend in digitizing border security.
UNKNOWN: This shall operate 24-7 -- 365.
POLGLASE (voice-over): The same sentry towers made by the American tech startup Anduril that line the U.S.-Mexico border have recently been
installed along the British coastline to identify and track boats. Another company, Sirius Insight A.I., whose technology is also available to the
U.K. authorities, insisted their tech is used for saving lives, but stopped short of talking about how the government uses it.
[12:25:00]
MALCOLM GLAISTER, CEO, SIRIUS INSIGHT A.I.: Our equipment shows any vessel that's in the U.K. territorial waters, where it is and where it's going.
And if that vessel is in distress, it allows the lifeboat to get to that precise location because we're tracking it.
POLGLASE: And so, we've been following some of the incidents that have unfortunately led to fatalities in the Channel. If we have this technology,
why are people dying?
GLAISTER: I don't think I can comment on those instances because of the commercial nature of our relationship with the Home Office.
POLGLASE (voice-over): The Home Office declined to comment on the incident on the 14th of December. In response to a Freedom of Information request
submitted by CNN, U.K. Border Force said revealing the tech's capability might aid the criminals facilitating the crossings and increase risk to
life at sea. The Coast Guard declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation into the incident and a court case underway to prosecute the
alleged driver of the boat.
A new record was set for June, with nearly 4000 people detected arriving to the U.K. But for those that do make it, they face an increasingly hostile
welcome. Katie Polglase, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ASHER: Still to come on One World, the efforts to find an American nurse and her child, who've been reported kidnapped in Haiti. Plus, protesters in
Niger burn French flags in support of a military coup. We'll discuss the historic ties between the two countries and why they're a factor in today's
political crisis. And Cardi B got much more than a round of applause at her (BEEP) show in Las Vegas. Why the rapper threw her microphone into the
crowd, when we come back.
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[12:30:00]
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ASHER: Hello and welcome back to One World. Let's catch up on the headlines. The U.K. has announced new plans to expand drilling for oil and
gas in the North Sea. The Prime Minister says he hopes it will help the U.K. obtain domestically sourced energy. He also announced plans to build
two new carbon capture and storage sites in the North Sea.
The Danish government is exploring the possibility of legally intervening in Quran burnings in other circumstances where countries and religions are
being insulted. Danis officials say they oppose the desecration of the Quran, but recent public protests where the holy book was decimated forced
15 countries to issue condemnations against Denmark.
And a historic moment at the Women's World Cup as Morocco scores its first ever victory. The striker who scored the one and only goal needed to win
told reporters, quote, this victory from Morocco and Arabs, calling it the fruit of our hard work. Morocco is the first Arab majority nation and the
first North African nation to ever make this tournament.
Inextricable from the ongoing coup in Niger are the country's historic ties with France. Niger achieved independence over 60 years ago now, after more
than 50 years as a French colony. But many citizens resent how French involvement in Nigerian affairs still persists to this day. All these
decades later, that frustration has been a big part of the message from the orchestrators of the coup, as well as its supporters in the streets.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAMAN SANI, PROTESTER (through translator): We also came out to tell this little Macron from France that Niger belongs to us. It's up to us to do
what we want with Niger. What we want, we deal with who we want and how we want. We are -- firmly support for the army.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Anger towards France is by no means confined to Niger either. Many in Western and Central Africa share the frustration over the French
military presence in the region, and Russia, reading all those anti- colonial winds, has tried to capitalize on that vacuum, courting the continent's leaders with summits like this one that took place last week in
St. Petersburg.
Time now for The Exchange. Joining me live now is Aneliese Bernard. She's the Director of Strategic Stabilization Advisers, a security advisory group
focused on West Africa. Aneliese, thank you so much for being with us.
I mean, it is interesting that you have this sort of group of countries across Africa, whether it's Burkina Faso, whether it's Mali, whether it's
Chad, whether it's Niger, that have sort of all succumbed to coups in recent years. And on top of that, these are all former French colonies. I
mean, what is it about France's relationship with some of its former colonies that has bred just so much resentment?
ANELIESE BERNARD, DIRECTOR, STRATEGIC STABILIZATION ADVISERS: Well, France has a very long legacy in West Africa, not just through its former colonies
in the region, but also through tying itself to a lot of its economic development. And we're talking about a region of the world that has just
remained very undeveloped for many years.
So, you obviously have a lot of, you know, perceptions of marginalization and frustration about the fact that after centuries, these countries still
remain at the bottom of the human development index, some of the poorest countries in the world and yet, France continues to have certain control
over some of the financial institutions.
And I should walk that back, actually, and say that it's not that France has control over these institutions, but there is something to be said
about the fact that the, you know, the currency in West Africa, the SAFA, is tied still to the French Franc and their treasury.
That said, I think what we're seeing in general is also, you know, you have a very, very young population. Something like 60 percent of West Africans
are under the age of 25. And these young people are having access to social media, they're globalized, they know what opportunities are out there, and
they also know that they're not really able to achieve those.
So, there's this natural push to want to throw off the yoke of their former colonial ties. And I think that's being conflated. And then obviously
there's a lot of other factors that kind of play into that, of course. But the coup is -- sorry.
ASHER: But the fact that -- no, I was just gonna say, I mean, the fact that, yes, of course there are some people who do support President Bazoum
in Niger, but you have a lot of people who would rather have a military takeover, would rather have the democratically elected president ousted if
it means undoing its ties to its former colonial power.
[12:35:00]
That's what people would rather, which I find fascinating. Also, on top of that, I mean, you know, France has said, listen, well, you know, we're
going to sort of limit our cooperation with Niger or sort of re-evaluate our partnership with Niger when it comes to humanitarian aid and that sort
of thing, which of course means that it's the poorest Nigerians that will suffer.
But how hard is it to undo a coup? You know, France is obviously trying to wield a lot of financial pressure on Niger, hoping to turn the tide. But
really, once a coup is done, I mean, aren't we past the point of no return here?
BERNARD: It's really challenging to say that right now. So far, we are several days into this. The coup kicked off on Wednesday. No one has
actually seen President Bazoum, other than a few photos and some communications with folks like the Secretary of State here in the United
States.
So, because we haven't seen him, I think that there is potentially still conversations taking place inside the Presidential Palace with those who
carried out the coup and with the folks who are still technically holding the reins of power.
That's what I just want to go back to one of the comments you made about the popularity of the coup. In Niamey, there is certainly a lot of chatter
right now about whether this is popular or not. Outside Niamey, which is 18 million-people and growing in a 20-million person country, you still have a
lot of -- it's very --there's a dichotomy of who's in support of the Bazoum administration and who's in support of the Puchists. So, it really is
split. Niamey just happens to be a lot of capital -- the people who live in the capital are political elites. And those political elites have always
kind of had a lot of tension with Bazoum, someone who was always kind of perceived as a political outsider in many ways.
ASHER: Okay, that's interesting. So, it's mostly in the capital, Niamey, where we're seeing a lot of the coup supporters.
BERNARD: So far.
ASHER: Fine. Okay, that's a good point that you just made there. So, we're also seeing in the capital, in Niamey where we're getting a lot of pictures
from, a lot of people waving Russian flags. I mean, there does seem to be a sort of pivot happening among some people away from France, and I guess the
United States, as well. Obviously, we're talking about France here. And a pivot towards Russia.
Russia's obviously going to want to capitalize on the instability. What will they want from Niger in return. This is obviously a country that is
rich in resources, especially when it comes to uranium.
BERNARD: And their upcoming oil production, which is supposed to boom, although that might be on hold, given the coup. Not -- again, not fully
clear. It's also there is -- I just want to caveat and say that there is absolutely no evidence right now that Russia is behind this. There is no
evidence they fomented this, similar to Mali and Burkina Faso.
ASHER: But they want to capitalize on it.
BERNARD: Yes, of course.
ASHER: They want to capitalize on it. Right, right.
BERNARD: I think if I could guess from when I used to work for the State Department, I was based in Niger. When I did that, I would guess that
Russia sees Niger as a huge lynchpin in the region that has always been kind of our bulwark of stability. We put a lot of investments in New
Yorkshire, not just in development and humanitarian, but massive amounts of security investments, as well. And if Russia can so easily undo that for
us, as in the U.S. and Western security partners, that would be a huge loss.
ASHER: And when it comes to, you know, just the ordinary, everyday Nigerians who, I mean, you know, that country is one of the poorest, not
just in the world, but you know, poorest in Africa, despite being rich in so many resources. You talked about them working towards oil production, as
well. But despite being so rich in uranium, it is one of the poorest countries in the world.
What happens to the average, ordinary Nigerian? If France and perhaps the United States say, well, listen, now that there's been this coup, now that
President Bazoum, who was our partner, who we trusted, has been ousted, we're not going to provide this country with as much aid or military
assistance. Obviously, Islamic insurgencies also a massive problem across the Sahel, as well.
BERNARD: Right. So, a media effect is it's possible, as France has said, that a lot of humanitarian aid will stop. The U.S. will not stop its
humanitarian aid, or at least there's no indication of that. We typically separate our security assistance from humanitarian development programs.
That will obviously impact the most vulnerable groups. You have a huge refugee and internally displaced population in Niger. There's always
communities that are in need of humanitarian assistance. Obviously, that will have a visceral impact on them.
In the long term, I don't necessarily see a huge shift. Again, we can look at Mali and Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is its own problem, said obviously,
but the people in northern Mali, you know, aside from the jihadist insurgency, which is huge there, the access to humanitarian aid and
livelihoods hasn't exactly changed unless there's actual conflict from jihadists.
Now, where there's huge confusion and where I would point everyone to right now is that, in the absence of clarity about who's in charge in terms of
governance and security, the jihadists, specifically the Al Qaeda line, JNIM, and the Islamic Sayyidina Sahel province that are operating in
Tiliburi, which is just a few kilometers northeast -- northwest of the capital city Niamey.
[12:40:00]
Those groups know how to take advantage of the governance and security. And they regularly exploit it for their gain. That's how they recruit locally.
If they carried in an attack right now and security forces fled because they weren't getting an authorization from anyone in charge to, you know,
go forward and do force protection, then that's a huge win for jihadists and a huge loss not just for Niger's credibility but obviously for the rest
of us who are looking at this region and seeing it as the last remaining bulwark of stability in West Africa -- in Sahel.
ASHER: So, it's the Islamic insurgents who win from all of this.
BERNARD: Absolutely.
ASHER: Aneliese Bernard, thank you so much. We appreciate it. We'll be right back with more.
BERNARD: Thank you so much, Zain. It was a pleasure.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: The White House says it's closely monitoring the situation in Haiti, where an American woman and her child have been kidnapped near the capital
city, Porto, France. This is Alix Dorsainvil and her husband, Sandro. She's a nurse at a school run by Sandro's humanitarian aid organization. CNN's
Paula Newton is live for us from Ottawa with more.
So, Alix had been living in Haiti for some time now. Obviously, she's originally from New Hampshire. What more do we know? I mean, are there any
leads at this point as to where she could have been taken to?
PAULA NEWTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Not at all, Zain. But even if there were, certainly authorities and friends and family have warned everyone to not
say anything about it. These negotiations, if they do know who abducted Alix Dorsainvil and her child, they certainly don't want to divulge
anything. These things become very delicate, especially since if you want normally what has happened in the past, that if you want the safe release
of those captives, that negotiations do involve a ransom.
Now, obviously, no one is confirming that to CNN. All the U.S. State Department will say is that they're aware of this and that they're working
with local authorities. Zain, CNN has reached out to local police there in Haiti and also government authorities and so far not heard back. And again,
Zain, as you explained, this is a woman who devoted her life in the last few years to helping Haiti. She is a nurse. She is trained. She did work
for that faith-based charity that was run by her husband.
[12:45:00]
But she had a specific desire here to try and help people avoid the recruitment and the membership into gangs that have so plagued Haiti for so
long. Now, I want you to take a listen to Alix just saying in her own words.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALIX DORSAINVIL, KIDNAPPED EL ROI NURSE: Cassandra invited me to come to the school to do some nursing for some of the kids. He said that was a big
need that they had. At first, I didn't think that there was going to be much of a need there, but when I got there, there were so many cases.
Haitians are such a resilient people. They're full of joy and life and love. And I'm so blessed to be able to know so many amazing Haitians.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NEWTON: Zain, as you can hear there, she's extremely passionate about her work in Haiti and is obviously going to be anxious to return to it. Family
and friends are asking again for privacy but also for prayers. As you know Zain, as you followed, things are quite dire in Haiti right now. The U.S.
started evacuating non-essential personnel on Thursday, the same day that Dorsainvil and her child were taken. And they have told Americans not to
travel to Haiti at all, given the violence, but also the risk of abduction.
I should say, as well, that the U.N. has been calling for a multinational force there on the ground. No takers so far, although on the weekend, Kenya
did say that they were willing to perhaps put as many as a thousand troops on the ground to train police there. But no word on that in the last 48
hours to see if that has been taken forward.
The only way it can be taken forward, Zain, is with approval from the U.N. The U.S. says there has been progress made on getting a force on the
ground, but that will not come in time for this woman and her child as frantic negotiations right now are underway to really isolate exactly where
she is and what her captors demands are.
ASHER: Yeah, Paula Newton, thank you so much and do keep us updated if you hear anything about Alix and her child. All right, still to come here,
we'll look at how the daughter of Ethiopian immigrants rose to the top of the Women's World Cup. We'll come back right after this break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ASHER: Cardi B had enough in the latest incident of concertgoers throwing things at performers on stage. I want you to look at what happened.
[12:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: So, this happened in Las Vegas, as you just saw there's someone in the audience threw their drink at her in the middle of her song, "Bodak
Yellow". Clearly annoyed and upset, Cardi reacted by throwing her microphone into the crowd as security guards rushed on stage. Drake, Kelsey
Ballarini, Harry Styles, BB Rexha, just some of the other artists who've had to deal with this, who've had objects from candy to jewelry to chicken
nuggets -- chicken nuggets thrown at them while performing.
And Chloe Melas joins us live now. The chicken nuggets -- chicken nuggets thing, I mean I shouldn't laugh, but oh my God, what is happening just in
terms of people behaving this way at concerts? And what should be done? I mean obviously just in terms of how Cardi B reacted, you could argue that
she shouldn't be throwing things at the audience members either, but what should be done to protect artists while they're performing?
CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: Zain, it is a complicated and concerning trend that we are seeing at concerts. This is nothing new. I
mean, since the beginning of live music, people occasionally have thrown things. But the difference here is that it's happening more frequently. And
we are seeing people get incredibly hurt. You mentioned Bebe Rexha. She was performing when someone threw their phone, hitting her in the face. She had
to get stitches, was taken to the hospital.
Not only does it ruin the experience for everyone, it's dangerous. I had spoken to Tim McGraw over the weekend who's about to go on tour and he
said, you know, not only could hurt the person performing, it could hurt a fellow audience member. You could potentially see netting being put up
around the stage, obviously having your cell phone and other items confiscated before you go in so you will have nothing on you at the
concert. Imagine those lines to get out of the venue.
You know, you mentioned chicken nuggets. I mean, when Pink was performing recently, someone threw their mother's ashes on the stage, right? And so,
Adele and others have spoken out and have said, do not throw anything. What is the point? This is so disturbing and so concerning. And if this
continues, I think that very soon, Zain, we're going to see the way that we attend and go to live music will change forever. And that is going to be
unfortunate because it's going to ruin the experience for everyone.
ASHER: Yeah, I mean, some of the items, I mean, this was a drink, obviously, you know, it didn't hurt her but of course, it's humiliating for
somebody to throw their drink at you but as you mentioned, I mean, Pink dealing with somebody throwing their mother's ashes. The chicken nuggets
thing is just ridiculous and then we just saw the video --
MELAS: But thank goodness it was a drink.
ASHER: We just saw the video -- we just saw the video of Bebe Rexha having a phone thrown in her face.
MELAS: Well, Zain, thank goodness it was a drink. What if there had been bleach in the cup? I mean, you don't know, right, that it's just water or
vodka, and thank goodness that they also didn't throw the actual, what if it had been a glass? I mean, there's just so many terrible things that
could happen, and like we said, Harry Styles and others being hit in the face while performing, it's inexcusable, and hopefully it stops.
ASHER: Such terrible behavior, all right. Chloe Melas, thank you. There was joy. There was joy in Sydney and the rest of Australia as their Women's
World Cup squad posted an impressive 4-0 victory over Canada to wrap up group play. The victory sends the Matildas onto the knockout stage as the
winners of Group B.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAYLEY RASO, AUSTRALIA FORWARD: Ecstatic. I can't really describe the crowd. They lifted us tonight to score in front of my family, in front of
this amazing crowd. It's so, so special.
UNKNOWN: Was it one of the best performances you've ever experienced with the Matildas?
RASO: I think so. We knew we had to win. Our backs were against the wall. We showed that never-say-die attitude and we're absolutely delighted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: And Naomi Girma, a starter on the U.S. Women's World Cup team, has had an amazing two years. The 23-year-old went from being the first overall
pick in the U.S. Women's League draft to winning Rookie of the Year and now playing in the World Cup. A daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, Girma says
that football played a huge role in her family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NAOMI GIRMA, DEFENDER, U.S. WOMEN'S WORLD CUP TEAM: It was a way for a lot of my parents' generation and also me and my brother's generation, who were
all first-generation Americans, to get together, have a community. My support system has been everything to get me here. I don't think I would be
here without the community around me that I had growing up.
Both my parents worked full-time jobs, so, it was really hard to get me to training. And I had neighbors and teammates who went to different schools
come pick me up from my school, take us to practice. So, I think, just other people lending out a hand and wanting to help me was huge and I'm so
thankful that they did.
Going on from there, every environment I would get into, I would realize I was good, but I always understood that there was room for me to grow.
[12:55:00]
And I also understood that, you know, I wasn't at, like that highest level yet. And then as I started playing for youth national teams, I always knew
there was more. I can remember watching Simone Manuel, Simone Biles, Serena Williams just dominate their sports and being black women in sports that
typically didn't see a lot of women of color competing was always super inspirational to me. Just playing for the U.S. is a huge honor and getting
to compete together with this incredible group of women and I think at the end to bring home the trophy would be the best feeling ever.
I feel very grateful to be in a position where young girls can look up to me and feel represented, feel like they can see themselves in this space
where maybe they couldn't see themselves before. So, I think like anyone who has like any dream and like watching me live out my dream with soccer,
I hope it makes them feel inspired to do that and whatever they're passionate about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ASHER: Team USA is just about 14 hours away from a crucial match, though they lead the Group E at the moment. The Americans need a win or a tie
against Portugal to assure them of advancing. All right, thank you so much for watching One World. I'm Zayn Asher. Amanpour is up next. You're
watching CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
