Change of regime in Niger could be a blow to the West: Politico

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: POLITICO
28 Jul 2023 14:47

A Politico article suggests that the coup in Niger threatens France and US interests in the region.

French and US flags are set out for the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron in Washington, DC, on November 29, 2022 (AFP)

An article published on the US Politico news website considered that the ongoing military coup in Niger threatens to "destabilize" one of the continent's remaining Western allies in the Sahel area.

On Wednesday, members of the Nigerien military said in a statement broadcast on national television that they had overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum, closed borders, and imposed a curfew in the country "until further notice."

It came hours after members of the presidential guard detained Bazoum at his residence and sealed off access to offices in the Nigerien capital of Niamey.

"We, the Defense and Security Forces, united within the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, have decided to put an end to the regime you know," Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane confirmed, as quoted by AFP.

"This follows the continuing deterioration of the security situation, and poor economic and social governance," he justified.

The article suggested that "a change of regime in Niger could be a blow to the West — and more specifically to France and the United States, who have strong ties to the West African nation."

It claimed that the US and France consider Niger as "a strategic country" in the fight against terrorism, adding that the country is "one of the last Sahel nations that hasn’t deepened cooperation with Russia to the West’s detriment."

The report explained that for France, "Bazoum’s forced departure would mark yet another setback in the region, only months after French troops had to withdraw from neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, effectively ending the Barkhane operation."

It added that France, "whose influence in West Africa has been significantly waning in recent years, has reportedly deployed about 1,500 French soldiers in Niger," noting that before the coup, the Nigerien government had "expressed satisfaction at the bilateral military agreement."

Earlier on Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron described the coup as "completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous, for Nigeriens, for Niger and for the whole region," calling for the release of Bazoum.

Bazoum has been confined to his residence since Wednesday by his own presidential guard.

Speaking during a visit to Papua New Guinea, Macron said it was imperative that the constitutional order be restored and vowed to support regional groupings like ECOWAS in mediation or sanctions against coup leaders.

On her part, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said Bazoum was in "good health" and had spoken to Macron.

"If you hear me talking about an attempted coup, it's because we don't consider things final," she said. "There is still a way out if those responsible listen to the international community."

Bazoum stressed that Paris "strongly condemns any attempt to seize power by force and joins the calls of the African Union and ECOWAS to restore the integrity of Niger's democratic institutions."

Colonna said there were "ways out" for coup leaders.

In the same context, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday called for the "immediate release" of Bazoum.

"I spoke with President Bazoum earlier this morning and made clear that the United States resolutely supports him as the democratically elected president of Niger. We call for his immediate release," Blinken said during a visit to New Zealand.

"We condemn any efforts to seize power by force. We're actively engaged with the Niger government, but also with partners in the region and around the world, and will continue to do so until the situation is resolved appropriately and peacefully."

Blinken refused to indicate whether the military revolt was a coup, a designation that could stop US cooperation with Nigerian authorities.

"Whether this constitutes a coup technically or not I can't say, that's for the lawyers to say. But what it clearly constitutes is an effort to seize power by force and to disrupt the constitution," he said.

This comes as coup leaders accused France of landing a military plane in the country in defiance of their orders to close the national borders.

"The French partner bypassed (the decision) on closing land and air borders in order to land an A401-type military aircraft at Niamey international airport this morning at 6:30 am," the coup leaders said in a statement, demanding "once and for all that measures (taken by the junta) be strictly upheld."