Thousands of people demonstrate in front of the French military base in Niamey – RT in French

Thousands of Nigeriens gathered outside the French military base in Niamey on September 1 to demand the withdrawal of troops from the country, supporting the military coup. The situation remains tense between the putschists and Paris.

A major demonstration took place in front of the French Embassy in Niamey on 1 September.

Protesters have warned that they intend to stage mass protests across the country over the next three days to enforce a deadline set by the new military government for the withdrawal of French troops from Niger on September 3.

There are currently 1,500 French soldiers in Niger.

Arm wrestling between the putschists and Paris

The military in power in Niger announced that they had “instructed the police services” in order to proceed with the “expulsion” of the French ambassador to Niamey, in a letter addressed to Paris consulted on August 31 by AFP, after the expiration of an ultimatum to the French diplomat to leave the country. Paris, for its part, refuses any legitimacy to the decisions of the putschists.

The diplomatic standoff between the military regime in power in Niger and France continued on September 1. The spokesman for the military, Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane denounced remarks made on August 28 by French President Emmanuel Macron, believing that they constituted “flagrant additional interference in the internal affairs of Niger”.

In a statement read on national television, he said Emmanuel Macron’s “relentless efforts” “in favor of an invasion of Niger are aimed at perpetuating a neocolonialist enterprise on the Nigerien people”.

Monday August 28, Emmanuel Macron had called on “all the States of the region to have a responsible policy”, recalling that France supports “diplomatic and, when it decides, military action” of the Economic Community of African States. of the West (ECOWAS) “in a partnership approach”.