The military regime in power in Niger has banned its airspace to “French planes” according to a message to air crews consulted on Sunday September 24 on the website of the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (Asecna).
Niger’s airspace “is open to all national and international commercial flights with the exception of French planes or planes chartered by France, including those of the Air France fleet”, specifies this text dated Saturday evening . The airspace remains closed for “all operational military flights and special flights”, unless special authorization is granted by the authorities, continues the message on the Asecna website.
Questioned by Agence France-Presse, Air France simply declared that it did not “fly over Niger airspace”. The French company, the main airline linking Europe and Africa, has also suspended its flights to Niamey since August 7 (four per week), until further notice.
On September 4, Niger reopened its airspace for commercial flights after almost a month of closure. The country announced its closure at the beginning of August “in the face of the growing threat of intervention from neighboring countries”, while the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened to intervene militarily to restore President-elect Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown in a coup on July 26.
The French ambassador in Niamey still in post
France has repeatedly affirmed its support for ECOWAS and relations between Paris and Niamey are at their lowest since the putsch. The military regime notably ordered at the end of August the expulsion of the French ambassador to Niamey, Sylvain Itté, and withdrew his diplomatic immunity and visa. But the latter is still stationed at the embassy and Paris refuses to recall him.
On August 3, a week after taking power, Nigerien generals denounced several military cooperation agreements with the former colonial power. One of these texts contained a month’s notice, and the regime claims that the approximately 1,500 French soldiers deployed in Niger for the anti-jihadist fight are present “illegally” in the country. Demonstrations regularly take place in the capital to demand their departure. The soldiers remain camped in their bases for the time being.
Since the coup, France has repeated that it does not recognize the legitimacy of the soldiers who took power and that its interlocutor remains the elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, held prisoner since July 26. The latter took action this week in West African justice to obtain his release and the restoration of constitutional order in Niger.
The military regime also attacked UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Friday, accusing him of having “obstructed” the participation of their representative in the United Nations General Assembly. According to a diplomatic source, the UN has, in the case of Niger, received two different requests to speak at the General Assembly, one for the minister of foreign affairs appointed by the military regime, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, and the other coming from the overthrown government.
