Paris/Niamey. The head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, denied on Monday accusations by the military junta that took power in Niger that France wants to “intervene militarily” in the African country.
“It’s false,” he told BFMTV.
The minister said that it is “possible” to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum, democratically elected and who has been kidnapped since Wednesday by his military escort.
“And it is necessary, since these destabilizations are dangerous for Niger and its neighbors,” he stressed.
The Niger military who overthrew the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, on Monday accused France, a former colonial power, of wanting to “intervene militarily”, a day after West African countries threatened to use “force” if they did not restored the constitutional order.
The pressure against the coup leaders, who seized power on July 26, is growing stronger from Niger’s Western and African partners, a key country in the fight against jihadist groups operating in the Sahel.
General Abdourahamane Tiani, leader of the presidential guard, proclaimed himself the new leader on Friday, justifying the coup on the “deterioration of the security situation” in the country, ravaged by the violence of jihadist groups such as the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. .
France and the United States have deployed 1,500 and 1,100 soldiers respectively to participate in the anti-jihadist device.
The military that have seized power have focused their criticism on France, which gave its support to President Bazoum, who has been held since Wednesday in the presidential palace.
The junta accused France on Monday of wanting to “intervene militarily” and of launching tear gas against pro-coup protesters outside the French embassy on Sunday.
“In its search for ways and means to intervene militarily in Niger, France, with the complicity of some Nigeriens, held a meeting with the General Staff of the Niger National Guard, to obtain the necessary political and military authorizations” to restore Mohamed Bazoum in his duties, the board said in a statement.
In another message, the coup leaders accused “the security services” of a “Western Foreign Ministry” — without specifying which one — of launching tear gas on Sunday in Niamey, the capital, against people who supported the junta, causing six wounded.
A new demonstration in support of the military junta took place on Monday in Zinder, 850 kilometers east of the capital.
“abusive arrests”
The leaders and representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) gave the military junta an ultimatum on Sunday with one week to restore “constitutional order” and did not rule out “the use of force” if this does not it happened.
That regional organization, of which Niger is a member, also decided to “suspend all commercial and financial transactions” between its member states and Niamey, and to freeze the assets of the military officials involved in the coup.
Nigerian Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou told France24 that the sanctions “are going to be a catastrophe” both economically and socially.
The Nigerian Party for Democracy and Socialism (PNDS, in power), denounced the “abusive arrests” of four ministers – Interior, Oil, Mines and Transport -, a former minister and party leader, in a statement sent to Afp on Monday. Sources close to the presidency also announced the arrest of the Minister of Higher Education.
The European Union (EU) warned on Monday that it would hold the coup leaders responsible for “any attack against civilians, or diplomatic personnel or facilities.” The EU will “quickly and firmly support” ECOWAS decisions, said the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell.
Meanwhile, countries like Spain and Germany announced the suspension of cooperation aid to the country.
For its part, Russia urged the “re-establishment of legality in the country as soon as possible” and asked the parties for “restraint” to avoid human losses, in the words of the spokesman for the presidency, Dmitri Peskov.
After Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger is the third country in the region to suffer a coup since 2020. With 20 million inhabitants, it is one of the poorest nations in the world, despite its uranium resources.
