'Down with France, ECOWAS': Nigeriens protesting near French army base
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Russia says military intervention in Niger could lead to a protracted confrontation Niger and trigger destabilization.
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Nigeriens protesting against their former colonizer France on Niger's independence day in Niamey on August 3, 2023 (AFP)
Niger's former colonizer, France, has become the center of growing public outrage as Nigerien citizens are increasingly calling for the expulsion of the French army from their country and ending Paris' decades-long hegemony over the country's political and economic policies.
Thousands of Nigeriens made their way on Friday to the French military base in Niamey - which holds 1,500 French troops - after the Elysee Palace and Washington announced their support yesterday for "any decision adopted by ECOWAS," referring to the bloc greenlighting an attack on Niger.
"We are going to make the French leave! ECOWAS isn't independent, it's being manipulated by France, there's outside influence," said Aziz Rabeh Ali, a member of the students' union who was taking part in the demonstrations, according to AFP.
"Down with France, down with ECOWAS," the protesters collectively chanted.
The new leadership under Abdourahamane Tchiani last week annulled a slew of military cooperation agreements with the European country and halted uranium and gold exports to its former colonizer.
Yesterday, West-affiliated ECOWAS members said they would be deploying a "standby force" as part of their plan to carry out the military action, while the country's chiefs of staff will hold a meeting on Friday to finalize the plans.
Following the announcement, Ivory Coast's President Alassane Ouattara revealed that ECOWAS has approved a military attack on Niger "as soon as possible" to remove the new leadership and restore Western-backed President Mohamed Bazoum.
"The Chiefs of Staff will have other conferences to finalize things but they have the agreement of the Conference of Heads of State for the operation to start as soon as possible," said Ouattara, adding that his country will be providing an armed force of 850 to 1,100 strongmen, alongside Nigeria and Benin, and other African countries.
ECOWAS' escalating threats, which were backed mainly by France and the United States, prompted Mali and Burkina Faso to announce that any attack on Niger would be considered a "declaration of war" against their countries.
Russia raises the alarm
Amid increasing reports about a near attack, Russia warned on Friday against any military action against Niger, stressing that this might lead to a "sharp destabilization" of the situation "in the Sahara-Sahel region as a whole."
"One [meeting] is being planned for next week," regarding the anticipated military operation against Niger, the ECOWAS spokesperson said, while an Ivory Coast army source and a Nigerian official said a meeting in Ghana will be held in the coming few days to discuss the issue, Reuters reported on Friday.
According to security experts, establishing an ECOWAS combat force could take weeks or longer, which would be a window for further negotiations.
On his part, Gambia's Defense Minister Sering Modou Njie and Liberia's Minister of Information Ledgerhood Rennie told Reuters that their countries haven't decided yet on providing troops.
US will not evacuate foreigners
Meanwhile, the United States Africa Command AFRICOM said measures are being taken to protect their personnel stationed in Niger, including embassy diplomats and 1,000 soldiers stationed in a US military base near the country's capital.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken dodged a question regarding a possible withdrawal of the US servicemembers from Niger, however, announced that Washington does not plan to use its forces to help evacuate foreigners.
"AFRICOM is monitoring the situation in Niger, and U.S. forces continue to take prudent force protection measures," the spokesperson told Newsweek magazine.
