On Saturday, the leaders of the military coup claimed that France was preparing troops and military hardware for an invasion of the Niger Republic.
After France backed the overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum after the coup in July, relations between France and Niger deteriorated.
As part of its preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is planning in conjunction with this community organisation, France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries, according to a statement made by the junta’s spokesman, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, that was aired on national television late on Saturday.
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Abdramane further stated that France has sent 40 armoured vehicles, military helicopters, and planes to Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
He said, “Military cargo aircraft have enabled large quantities of war material and equipment to be unloaded in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin, to name but a few.”
The West African group, ECOWAS, and Niger are at odds, and ECOWAS has threatened to invade Niger if diplomatic pressure to restore Bazoum to power fails.
The regional bloc, who had to wrangle over the lengths and conditions of transition periods, has stated that it does not want Niger to “repeat the experiences of Mali, Guinea, and Burkina.”
Several military cooperation agreements with France, which has roughly 1,500 soldiers stationed in the nation as part of a larger campaign against extremists, were abandoned by the coup leaders on August 3, 2023.
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They insisted that France’s military are currently stationed in Niger “illegally”.
The mutinous soldiers who overthrew President Bazoum are not considered parties to such cooperative agreements since Paris refuses to recognise the military rule in Niger.
France and Niger are at odds, and Niger has also asked police to remove French ambassador Sylvain Itte and revoked his diplomatic immunity.
France has repeatedly rejected the proposal, claiming that the military rule lacks the legal authority to issue such a directive.
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