Niger’s new military leaders have accused France of amassing forces for a possible military intervention in the country following the coup in July.
“If we redeploy anything, it will only be at the demand of Bazoum and in coordination with him, not with those people who are holding a president hostage,” he said.considering a military interventionSince toppling Bazoum, the junta in Niger, a former French colony, has leveraged anti-French sentiment among the population —and troops to leave — to shore up its support in resistance to regional and international pressure to reinstate the president.
The junta spokesman said that France has deployed military aircraft and armored vehicles in countries like Ivory Coast, Senegal and Benin for such an aggression, a claim that The Associated Press couldn’t independently verify. “This is why the National Council for the Protection of the Fatherland and the transitional government launch a solemn appeal to the great people of Niger to be vigilant and never to demobilize until the inevitable departure of French troops from our territory,” he said.
French military spokesperson Col. Pierre Gaudilliere, meanwhile, said Thursday that there is now “a little less” than its 1,500 troops in Niger who had been working with Nigerien security forcesAll French activities have been suspended since the coup, “therefore, declarations that have been made are about exploring what we’re going to do with these capabilities,” Gaudilliere said.The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
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