France was directly targeted on Saturday, September 9, by the Nigerian military regime resulting from a coup, which accuses Paris of preparing an intervention in the country.

“France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS [Economic Community of West African States] countries as part of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is considering in collaboration with this organization community,” said a member of the regime, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, in a statement read on national television.

According to the press release, the regime has noted since September 1 that “two A400M type military transport aircraft and a Dornier 328 have been deployed as reinforcements in Côte d’Ivoire”, and that “two Super Puma type multirole helicopters” and “one forty armored vehicles” were “at Kandi and Malanville in Benin”.

“On September 7, 2023, a French military ship docked in Cotonou [in Benin] with military personnel and assets on board,” the statement added.

The generals in power also report “about a hundred rotations of military cargo planes having made it possible to land large quantities of war material and equipment in Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Benin, to name a few. than those.” “These maneuvers” aim to “achieve a successful military intervention against our country,” according to them.

French forces now present “illegally” in Niger

After the July 26 coup, ECOWAS brandished the threat of a military intervention in Niger, of which it had announced the preparation, to restore constitutional order, release the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and restore him to his functions. . A decision supported by France, which has around 1,500 soldiers in this Sahelian country, as part of the anti-jihadist fight.

On August 3, the Nigerien generals in power, who want the departure of French soldiers, denounced several military cooperation agreements concluded with the former colonial power. One of these texts contained a month’s notice, according to them.

The regime claimed in the statement that these forces were now present “illegally” in Niger. “On September 1,” the “chief of staff of the Niger armies received the commander of the French forces in the Sahel in Zinder to discuss a plan for disengagement of French military capabilities,” he said. The regime says it has been informed of “an announcement of withdrawal (…) which comes to us from an operational level and is therefore carried neither by the general staff of the French armies nor by the French government and has not made the subject of any official press release.

On Tuesday, Paris claimed that “exchanges” were underway between the Nigerien and French armies to “facilitate the movement of French military means”, confirming comments made the day before by Niger’s prime minister appointed by the regime, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine. “The question of maintaining some of our forces arises,” said the French Ministry of the Armed Forces.

Every day for more than a week, thousands of people have gathered in the Nigerien capital, Niamey, near a military base housing French soldiers, to demand their departure.

For its part, the United States, which has some 1,100 soldiers in Niger, began “as a precaution” to reposition its troops from base 101 in Niamey to base 201 in Agadez, in the center of the country. said the Department of Defense on Thursday.

“Ambassador declared persona non grata”

France is engaged in a standoff with Niger, which has also withdrawn the immunity and diplomatic visa of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itté, and demanded his “expulsion”. Paris, which does not recognize the military regime, has justified the maintenance of Mr. Itté several times.

“France refuses to recall its ambassador declared persona non grata by the Nigerien authorities and justice,” the regime’s press release once again underlined.

Mr. Lamine Zeine, however, declared that his government hoped “if possible to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared a lot of things.” He also expressed that he was “hopeful” that his country would find an “understanding” with ECOWAS, after the head of the regime, General Abdourahamane Tiani, announced a transition lasting a maximum of three years. The regional organization, however, “does not want to repeat” in this country “the experiences of Mali, Guinea and Burkina [Faso]”, where transition periods had been negotiated.