The French military outpost in Niamey now has Nigerien troops stationed there to keep an eye on the French forces, reports Al-Jazeera.
Previously, Catherine Colonna, the French minister of foreign affairs, stated in an interview with the newspaper Monde that French military personnel in Niger could not complete their mission due to a shortage of cooperation with Nigerian troops. She also noted that her nation is confident in its ambassador’s capacity to continue its activities in the African nation.
She stated that Nigerian army reinforcements were being dispatched to the French military base with orders to monitor their personnel.
The source for the channel said that even though the Nigerien military has “cancelled” defence deals with France, French troops have decided to stay in the military facility. Saturday was the second day in a row that many people gathered near the French military base in Niger to protest. Al-Arabiya said that the people at the protest were calling for all French forces to leave the country.
The protesters from the Islamic Association said prayers for the French to leave. They supported the new government in Niger, the “National Council for the Defence of the Fatherland,” and Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea. People who participated in the protest said they didn’t want violence or attacks against Niger.
Previously, Burkina Faso and Mali had stationed fighter planes in Niger to act against any signs of aggression against the country. Guinea was the first country to back the new government in Niger.
Late in July, the military of Niger stated on national TV that the country’s president, Mohamed Bazoum, had been removed from office and that CNSP had been set up. Most leaders in the West and the regional group, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), spoke out against the coup. At the beginning of August, the military leaders of ECOWAS member states got together in Abuja, Nigeria, and planned a possible military action in Niger.
Niger, which used to be a French colony, was one of the West’s last friends in the Sahel area. Also, there are a lot of uranium supplies in the country, which France uses to make energy. French sources say that between 15% and 17% of the uranium used to make electricity in France comes from Niger. There are about 1,500 French troops in Niger and 1,000 in Chad.