Niger junta ends military cooperation with France
At the same time, the junta made the announcement that it was terminating military pacts between Niger and France, citing the previous ruler’s “careless attitude and its reaction to the situation” as the reason for the decision.
NIAMEY: Despite proposals to end the conflict, a West African delegation failed to secure the restoration of Niger’s democratic government on Friday because the junta restricted military collaboration with the former colonial power France.
The delegation from the ECOWAS regional bloc arrived in Niamey on Thursday, “but did not spend the night” as planned, and did not meet with either jailed President Mohamed Bazoum or coup leader Abdourahamane Tiani, a delegation member claimed on Friday.
The junta also said that it was breaking military agreements between Niger and France at the same time, blaming the previous administration for its “careless attitude and response to the situation.”
Since 2012, a jihadist insurgency has afflicted the Sahel region, and France and the United States have stationed roughly 1,500 and 1,000 troops there, respectively, as part of their strategy to confront it.
While the Niger ambassador to France declared she did not acknowledge her dismissal by the putschists and was loyal to Bazoum, France rejected the coup leaders’ proposal to terminate military links, saying that only the “legitimate” government could make such a decision.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), whose rotating leadership is currently held by regional superpower Nigeria, slapped sanctions and on Sunday threatened the putschists one week to restore Bazoum to office or risk potential armed intervention.
The junta members met with the visiting group at the airport, according to Le Sahel, the official newspaper of Niger, and they talked about “proposals to resolve the crisis.”
The group would try to resolve the problem diplomatically, the president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, stated, but ECOWAS acknowledged it may also turn to military involvement as a last resort.
Russia, whose influence in the Sahel has grown recently, issued a warning that outside action will not end the problem.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, “it is unlikely that the intervention of any extra-regional force can change the situation for the better.”
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