Niger’s government has accused the Republic of Benin of authorising the deployment of troops on its territory in preparation for a prospective intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). As a result, the government of Niger has cancelled a military pact with the Republic of Benin. In light of the possibility of an intervention by ECOWAS, the Beninese military issued a statement, which was then aired on Beninese national television, stating that Benin has approved the deployment of soldiers, mercenaries, and military equipment. The government of Niger has “decided to suspend the military cooperation agreement” with Benin as a direct result of this situation.
Late in July, the armed forces of Niger announced on national television that President Mohamed Bazoum had been removed from office and that a new government called the “National Council for the Protection of the Homeland” (CNSP) had been formed. Most Western officials and the regional group ECOWAS voiced their disapproval of the uprising. At the beginning of August, participants at an emergency session of the chiefs of staff of the armed forces of ECOWAS member nations in Abuja, Nigeria, established a plan for a potential military intervention in the country of Niger.
Niger, a country that was a colony of France in the past, is one of the few remaining Western friends in the Sahel region. In addition, this country has large uranium reserves, which are an important resource for France. Niger is the source of between 15 and 17 per cent of the uranium used in the generation of energy in France, according to the reports published in French media. Approximately 1,500 French military personnel are stationed in Niger, while 1,000 French military personnel are stationed in Chad.
