The Nigerien military regime, which took power in Niger after the July 26 coup d’état, accused France on September 9 of preparing an aggression against the country by “deploying its forces” in multiple neighboring West African states.
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Tension escalates between Niamey and Paris. The Nigerien military regime, the result of the coup d’état, accused France on September 9 of “deploying its forces” in several West African countries, with the aim of “aggression” against Niger.
France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries in the framework of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it conceives in collaboration with that community organization, declared a member of the regime, Major Colonel Amadou Abdramane, in a statement read on national television. .
According to the statement, the regime confirmed since September 1 that “two A400M type military transport aircraft and a Dornier 238 were deployed as reinforcements in Ivory Coast” and “two Super Puma type multirole helicopters” and “about forty armored vehicles.” in “Kandi and Malanville in Benin”.
The generals in power also recorded “a hundred rotations of military cargo planes, which allowed significant quantities of material and war equipment to be landed in Senegal, the Ivory Coast and Benin, to name just those.” “These maneuvers” aim to “achieve a military intervention against our country,” they stated.
After the coup d’état of July 26, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) used the threat of preparing a military intervention in Niger to restore constitutional order and free the deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, restoring him to his functions. A decision supported by France, which has approximately 1,500 soldiers in the Sahel country, within the framework of the anti-jihadist fight.
Discussions on a “withdrawal plan”
On August 3, the Nigerien generals in power, who want to remove the French soldiers, denounced several military cooperation agreements contracted with the former colonial power. They claim that one of those texts contained a one-month notice.
The regime, in the statement of September 1, says that from that date and onwards, these forces would be present “illegally” in Niger.
The “chief of staff of the armed forces of Niger received the commander of the French Forces in the Sahel in Zinder to discuss a plan to withdraw French military capabilities,” he indicated.
The regime claims to have been informed of a “withdrawal announcement (…) that comes from an operational level and that is not then assumed by either the General Staff of the French armed forces or the French Government, and was not the object of any official statement.”
On Tuesday, September 5, Paris stated that “exchanges” were underway between the Nigerien military and France to “facilitate the movements of French military assets,” confirming the words of the previous day by the regime-appointed Prime Minister of Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine. “The question arises of the maintenance of some of our forces,” the French Defense Minister declared then.
Consequently, every day for more than a week, thousands of people have gathered in the vicinity of a military base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, which houses French soldiers, to demand their withdrawal.
For its part, the United States, which has almost 1,100 soldiers in Niger, began “out of an abundance of caution” to relocate its troops from base 101 in Niamey to base 201 in Agadez, in the center of the country, the Department of Defense declared on Thursday, September 7.
Diplomatic pulse
France is involved in a fight with Niger, which also withdrew the immunity and diplomatic visa of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itté, and demanded his “expulsion.”
Paris, which does not recognize the legitimacy of the military regime, justified Sylvain Itté’s persistence multiple times.
France refuses to return its ambassador, declared persona non grata by the Nigerien authorities and justice, the regime’s statement noted.
However, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine had declared that his government hoped “if possible, to maintain cooperation with a country with which we share enormously.” He in turn expressed that he had the “hope” that his country would have a “good relationship” with ECOWAS, after the head of the regime, General Abdourahamane Tiani, announced a transition of a maximum duration of three years. .
The regional organization does not, however, want to “repeat” in Niger “the experiences of Mali, Guinea and Burkina Faso”, military regimes with transition periods that had been negotiated.
With AFP. This article was adapted from its original in French
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