The military coup continues in Niger. The elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, sequestered since July 26, spoke in a column published on Thursday evening August 3. In the same evening, the putschists denounced the military agreements with France and dismissed four ambassadors, including that of France. Le Figaro takes stock of the tense situation in Niger.
The delegation of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) arrived Thursday evening in Niamey to find a way out of the crisis in Niger, left a few hours later, without having met the head of the junta, indicated one of its members.
“The ECOWAS envoys left” overnight from Thursday to Friday and saw neither the head of the military who took power last week, General Abdourahamane Tiani, nor the ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, explained Friday August 4 one of the members of the delegation.
President Mohamed Bazoum predicted “devastating” consequences for the world if the entire Sahel region comes under the “influence” of Russia, via the Wagner Group mercenaries, in a column published Thursday evening in the Washington Post. “With the green light from the coup instigators and their regional allies, the entire central Sahel region could come under Russian influence through the Wagner Group, whose brutal terrorism has been on full display in Ukraine,” he said. he adds.
Therefore, “I call on the US government and the entire international community to help restore constitutional order,” the president announced. “I write this as a hostage,” he said, kidnapped since his government was overthrown on July 26 by putschist soldiers. “This coup (…) has no justification and if it succeeds it will have devastating consequences for our country, our region and the whole world”, underlined the president. “In the troubled region of the Sahel, in the midst of authoritarian movements that have taken hold among some of our neighbours, Niger is the last bastion for the respect of rights,” he continued.
Tension has risen a notch between the putschists in Niger and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The military junta has announced that it will retaliate “immediately” in the event of “aggression or attempted aggression” against Niger by ECOWAS, three days before the end of the ultimatum issued by the organization for a return to constitutional order.
“As ECOWAS is impersonal, any aggression or attempted aggression against the State of Niger will see an immediate and unannounced response from the Nigerien Defense and Security Forces on one of its members, with the exception of suspended friendly countries”, said one of the putschists, alluding to Burkina Faso and Mali.
Late Thursday, in a statement read on television, the putschists denounced “the cooperation agreements in the field of security and defense with France”, a military contingent of which is deployed in Niger. In particular the “stationing” of the French detachment and the “status” of the soldiers present within the framework of the anti-jihadist fight.
“Faced with France’s casual attitude and reaction to the situation” in Niger, “the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP, military in power), decided to denounce the cooperation agreements in the field of security and defense with this state,” said one of the putschists.
The putschists have also moved up a notch in questioning the French presence in Niger, perceived as a former colonial power. The Nigerian ambassador in Paris has been sacked, as have those in the United States, Togo and Nigeria.
On Thursday, the programs of Radio France Internationale (RFI) and the news television channel France 24 were interrupted. “A decision taken outside of any conventional and legal framework”, according to the parent company of the two media, France Médias Monde. France “very strongly” condemned this decision.
France and the United States, two allies of Niger plagued by jihadist violence for several years, are deploying 1,100 and 1,500 soldiers respectively, whose evacuation is not planned.
