The African country’s military leadership accused France of preparing an aggression against Niger on Saturday evening. Amadou Abderrahmane, spokesman for the military junta, announced on television that France had mobilized its soldiers in several member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and had also placed military helicopters, planes and tanks on alert in Senegal and Ivory. The coast, Benin and others. A French warship also arrived at the port of Cotonou in Benin.
“The goal of these movements is to prepare for intervention against our country.”
The military council statement says:
After the coup in Niger on July 26, ECOWAS actually envisaged military intervention in order to restore constitutional order in Niger and restore President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted during the coup. France has about 1,500 soldiers stationed in Niger to fight armed Islamic groups. At the beginning of August, the military junta canceled military cooperation agreements concluded with Paris, and several thousand people demonstrated in Niamey for several days, demanding the departure of the French unit.
Paris responded to the announcement in a statement, saying that France still considers military cooperation with Niger valid, because the agreement that governs it was concluded with the democratically elected Nigerien authorities, so only France has the right to terminate it.
(MTI)
