Niger warns France, accomplices amid destabilizing unilateral actions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
9 Aug 2023 19:28
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France's unilateral actions in Niger escalate the situation as the military junta raises the threat level.

A soldier of the French Special and Intervention Unit of the National Gendarmerie (Unite speciale et d'Intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale USIGN) stands next to an NH90 Caiman Helicopter at the Ouallam military base in Niger on July 15, 2022. (AFP)

France unilaterally released a group of terrorists on Wednesday and positions of the Niger National Guard were attacked, according to the Nigerien military spokesperson Amadou Adramane.

"The National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland informs the local and international community about the events of extreme seriousness that are taking place in Niger, about the facts of the behavior of the French forces on our territory …Today, August 9, 2023, at 6.30 am [5:30 am GMT], the positions of the Niger National Guard... were attacked …The actions of the French forces were condemned for unilaterally releasing detained terrorists," Adramane said.

Furthermore, the spokesperson announced that a French military aircraft breached the country's airspace and cut all contact with the air control.

"On August 9, a military aircraft of French troops took off from N'Djamena [Chad]... This aircraft deliberately stopped all contact with air control after entering our airspace," the official stated.

The council warned against the "gravity" of the unfolding events in Niger "as a result of the behavior of the French forces and their accomplices" and the attack that occurred on "military positions in the tri-border area," in reference to the meeting point of the borders of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso.

The council said no toll of the casualties resulting from the attack has been collected, as it called on the security forces to "raise their alert level across the country" and on the public "to remain mobilized and vigilant," in response to the recent escalation.

On its part, the French government rejected the accusations leveled by Niger's new military rulers that it freed terrorists and violated the country's airspace, a government source said Wednesday, claiming that the flight in question was "authorized by and coordinated with" Niger's armed forces, AFP reported, citing the French government source.

Responding to the accusation that France had released terrorists in Niger, the French government source said that "no terrorist has been freed by French forces."

At the moment, France has approximately 1,500 troops positioned in Niger, and French President Emmanuel Macron has taken a strong stance against the coup, saying it is "completely illegitimate and profoundly dangerous, for Nigeriens, for Niger and for the whole region," considering that this event added to a series of revolts and coups that have impeded France's position in West Africa.

Prior to Macron's remarks, the military junta in Niger announced that it had annulled a slew of military cooperation agreements with France, on August 3.

On Tuesday, Western-backed ECOWAS and the US toned down their rhetoric on Niger, pushing for a diplomatic solution that would see the ousted Mohamed Bazoum return to power.

However, ECOWAS did not rule out the possibility of military confrontation, as it has amassed around 25,000 troops ready to interfere in Niger and prop up Bazoum.