Two days after mutinous soldiers ousted Niger’s democratically elected president, it was still unclear Friday morning who was running the country and what mediation efforts were underway, as analysts warned that political chaos could set back the fight on extremist groups and increase Russia's influence in the region. On Thursday, several hundred people gathered in the capital, Niamey, and chanted support for the Russian private military group Wagner while waving Russian flags. Later, they burned cars and ransacked the headquarters of the president's political party. “We’re fed up,” said Omar Issaka, one of the protestors. “We are tired of being targeted by the men in the bush ... Down with the French people. We’re going to collaborate with Russia now,” he said. The soldiers have not announced a leader and President Mohamed Bazoum, who was elected two years ago in Niger’s first peaceful, democratic transfer of power since its independence from France in 1960, has not resigned. Some of the last public communications from the government included a defiant tweet by the president Thursday declaring that democracy would prevail and a call by the Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou, on media outlet France 24, for Nigeriens to stand against the mutiny. Someone close to the president who is not authorized to speak about the situation, told The Associated Press that Bazoum has no intention of resigning and talks were ongoing. However, it's unclear who's involved in these dialogues, the nature of the discussions or how they're proceeding. Analysts say the coup could destabilize the country and threatens to starkly reshape the international community’s engagement with the Sahel region. Bazoum is a key ally in the West’s efforts to battle the jihadists, and the West African nation has been seen as the last major Western partner standing against extremism in a region where anti-French sentiment has paved the way for the Russian private military group Wagner. Neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have both ousted the French military, which previously provided aid in their fight against jihadists. Mali has contracted Wagner, and it’s believed the mercenaries will soon be in Burkina Faso. Earlier this week, The Economic Community of West African States said it was sending Benin President Patrice Talon to lead mediation efforts, but as of Friday Talon was not in the country. During their first address to the nation Wednesday night, the mutineers urged “external partners” not to interfere. French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna told French media Friday that President Emmanuel Macron has spoken several times to Bazoum. Colonna said France believes there are still possible exits from the crisis, and that Paris regards the attempted coup as lacking any legitimacy. On Thursday, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, said the country's “substantial cooperation with the Government of Niger is contingent on Niger’s continued commitment to democratic standards". Niger could lose millions of dollars in military aid and assistance, which the United States and European countries have recently poured in an attempt to help in the fight against Islamic extremism. The United States in early 2021 said it had provided Niger with more than $500 million in military assistance and training programs since 2012, one of the largest such support programs in sub-Saharan Africa. The European Union earlier this year launched a 27 million-euro ($30 million) military training mission in Niger. The United States has more than 1,000 service personnel in the country. France has 1,500 soldiers, which conduct joint operations with the Nigeriens. The coup has dashed hopes of collaboration between Sahelian countries and Western powers, which offered a more robust response to the jihadist insurrection when compared with the strategies to arm civilians in Burkina Faso or the responsibility given to Wagner in Mali, said Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, senior Sahel analyst for the International Crisis Group. As uncertainty lingers about who's in charge, insecurity could worsen. “The army officers will be busy positioning themselves in power struggles and abandon the fight against jihadists,” said Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel program at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. Rights groups also warn that civilians always bear the brunt of these mutinies. “During a coup, the first victims are always the same: the most vulnerable, women and children,” said Drissa Traore, secretary-general of the International Federation for Human Rights. On Thursday the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said it has paused operations in Niger, where more than 370,000 people are internally displaced and more than 4 million rely on aid. ___ AP writer John Leicester in Paris contributed to this report. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Stock market today: Asian shares mixed, Tokyo falls as Bank of Japan adjusts bond purchase policy India and Japan look to collaborate in building semiconductors and resilient supply chains AP Week in Pictures: Europe and Africa

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa paid an emotional tribute to Kelly's father Joe Ripa, who previously served in the US Army, on his 84th birthday

The powerline was believed to have been damaged by a vegetation fire that happened two days earlier in the area

By Ebru Tuncay ISTANBUL Turkish banks plan to urge Treasury authorities to allow them to use inflation-adjusted accounting,

Justin Verlanderisn't the only New York Mets star up for grabs ahead of the 6 PMMLB trade deadline.The New York Mets kicked the MLB trade deadline into high gear with the Max Scherzer trade. Now, all eyes remain fixated on New York as Justin Verlander rumors build to a crescendo in advance ...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis condemned Walt Disney World and the U.S. Justice Department — not his chief Republican rival, Donald Trump — as he courted Nevada Republicans deep in the heart of Trump country

Tristan Tate believes that the country should surrender if they are 'out of men' to fight

Ludwig Ahgren unveiled his inaugural Mogul Chessboxing event in 2022

A controversial six-week abortion ban bill is headed to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster's desk to be signed into law after the measure cleared the state Senate Tuesday.

Volodymyr Zelenskiy told the Wall Street Journal that Ukraine is ready for its counteroffensive against Russia, but downplayed

The rumors are rolling at a blistering pace on Monday afternoon with the MLB trade deadline just a day away. Strap in and get all the latest here!The latest MLB rumors are here, but don't expect to do anything today without more rumors coming out in the process. Keep it locked on our MLB ru...

YouTuber MrBeast is being counter-sued for $100 million by Virtual Dining Concepts, the company behind Beast Burger restaurants. MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, shared in June that he was going to be “moving on” from his Beast Burger restaurants in order to concentrate more on his snack business with his chocolate bar brand Feastables. Just over two years ago Donaldson partnered with Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC) to launch over 2,000 ‘ghost kitchens’ to make Beast Burger available across the United States. VDC are suing Donaldson for failing to honour his contractual obligations, as well as intentional tortious interference. The lawsuit was filed on Monday morning in the Supreme Court of the State of New York for the County of New York. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter The suit, obtained by Variety, is a response to Donaldson suing VDC and its parent company last month, wanting to terminate the deal for his restaurant chain, alleging the burgers it served were called “disgusting,” “revolting” and “inedible” which damaged his reputation. Last week, VDC hit back at the suit claiming it was “riddled with false statements and inaccuracies”, as well as calling it “meritless” and “ill-advised”. “This case is about a social media celebrity who believes his fame means that his word does not matter, that the facts do not matter, and that he can renege and breach his contractual obligations without consequence,” the suit states. “He is mistaken.” The counter-suit claims that Donaldson had breached the parties’ agreements and interfered with business dealings. As a result, it has damaged the reputation of MrBeast Burger and VDC, turned away customers and ruined relationships with suppliers and vendors. The lawsuit also contains examples of deleted tweets from the YouTube star’s account where he writes that he wished to close the burger business, writing: “the company I partnered with won’t let me stop even though it’s terrible for my brand.” VDC was co-founded by Robert Earl, who is the founder and CEO of Planet Hollywood. The company has backed celebrity brands including those from Mariah Carey and Mario Lopez. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.