The last time we raised the periscope on troubled Niger, chaos reigned: President Macron was evacuating France’s envoy out of her former colony and President Bazoum, ousted in a midsummer coup, was being detained by the self-described president of the National Council for Safeguarding of the Nation, General Tiani. Paris has been demanding his release, but nobody at Niamey can be bothered to  listen — especially not to the French.