The head of French diplomacy Catherine Colonna on Monday denied accusations by the junta that took power in Niger, according to which France would like to “intervene militarily” in the country. “It’s wrong,” she told BFM. “We have to dismantle the intox and not fall into the trap”, also reacted the Minister of Foreign Affairs, about the anti-French slogans which notably flourished during a demonstration in front of the French Embassy in Niamey on Sunday.
“We saw an organized demonstration, not spontaneous, violent, extremely dangerous, with molotov cocktails, Russian flags that appeared, anti-French slogans copied and pasted from what one can have elsewhere,” she said. lamented, noting “all the usual ingredients of Russian-African destabilization”.
She recalled that France’s top priority was “the security of its nationals” while the security of the French Embassy in Niamey was reinforced. She also considered that it was “possible” to restore the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum to his functions. “And it is necessary because these destabilizations are perilous for Niger and its neighbors,” she commented.
At the Elysée, it is pointed out that President Emmanuel Macron “actively follows the current situation”. “He was able to exchange on several occasions with Presidents Bazoum and Issoufou, as well as with the Heads of State of ECOWAS, and especially the Presidents of Nigeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin and Senegal and (with) our European and international partners involved in the resolution of the Nigerien crisis”, it was indicated. At the Quai d’Orsay, as at the Elysée, the military putsch was strongly condemned and the “restoration of constitutional order” was called for.
