Thousands rally in Niger calling for withdrawal of French troops

Thousands rallied Saturday in the Niger capital Niamey to demand that former colonial ruler France withdraw its troops as sought by a junta which seized power in July.

The protesters gathered near a base housing French soldiers following a call by several civic organisations hostile to the French military presence in the West African country.

They help up banners proclaiming "French army leave our country".

The coalition of civil society groups called for a three-day sit-in, starting Friday.

Niger's military regime on Friday accused Paris of "blatant interference" by backing the country's ousted president, as protestors held a similar protest near a French base outside Niamey.

President Mohamed Bazoum, a French ally whose election in 2021 had stoked hopes of stability in the troubled country, was detained on 26 July by members of his guard.

On Friday, French president Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to Bazoum, praising his "commitment, action and courage".

He dismissed Niger's rulers as having "no legitimacy" and insisted France would make its decisions with regard to Niger "on the basis of exchanges with President Bazoum".

In a statement read on television, regime spokesman Colonel Amadou Abdramane referred to Macron's comments.

"Mr. Macron's comments and his unceasing efforts in favour of an invasion of Niger aim at perpetuating a neo-colonial operation against the Nigerien people, who ask for nothing more than to decide its own destiny for itself," he said.

Diplomatic wrangling

The row heated up this week when Niger's military regime stripped France's ambassador of diplomatic immunity and ordered police to expel him, saying his presence was a threat to public order.

Authorities had already given French envoy Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave the country last Friday.

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France refused the demand, saying that the government had no legal right to make such an order.

French military spokesman Colonel Pierre Gaudilliere Thursday warned that "the French military forces are ready to respond to any upturn in tension that could harm French diplomatic and military premises in Niger".

"Measures have been taken to protect these premises," he said.

On Thursday, cars leaving the French embassy in Niger were systematically searched by security forces, residents in the area told French news agency AFP.

Deadlines looming

The deadline in another thorny issue between France and Niger could also run out this weekend.

On 3 August, Niger's new rulers denounced military agreements with France, a move that the government in Paris has also ignored on the grounds of legitimacy.

The agreements cover different timeframes, however one of them dating from 2012 was set to expire within a month, according to military leaders.

Niger's new military regime faces calls for a transition back to civilian rule within months.

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Nigerian President Bola Tinubu Thursday suggested a nine-month period such as his country underwent in the late 1990s.

Meanwhile, around 20 human rights organisations called in a letter Friday for the West African bloc Ecowas to lift the economic measures, arguing they would further worsen the vulnerability of Niger's population.

The sanctions, they said, had been met with incomprehension from "deprived people who expected... more solidarity and empathy".

Food aid stuck at the border

Some 7,300 tons of food aid destined for Niger is stuck in transit due to border closures, the United Nations said Friday.

Additionally, food prices have increased by up to 21 percent -- a serious issue in a country where some 3.3 million Nigeriens, or 13 percent of the population, "are severely food insecure," a statement from regional UN agencies said.

"Over 7 million people (approximately 28 percent of the population) are at risk of falling into severe food insecurity due to price hikes and loss of livelihoods triggered by the ongoing political crisis," the agencies said.

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"Access restrictions are hindering the delivery of essential aid. WFP, the UN food agency, has over 7,300 tons of food including specialized foods for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition that are stuck in transit due to border closures."

Worried that donors may pull out in light of the ousting of President Bazoum, "The UN is deeply concerned that any suspension or interruption of donor funding in Niger will not only impact the immediate humanitarian response, but also roll back hard-won community resilience and development gains," the statement added.

Further complicating things, the junta announced late Thursday it was stopping UN agencies, NGOs and international organizations from working in military "operation zones."

(with newswires)