Niamey: Thousands rally in Niger looking for withdrawal of French soldiers
By Ahmad Hadizat Omayoza, Mamos Nigeria
Thousands of protesters in Niger’s capital Niamey to require the withdrawal of French soldiers, as requested by a junta that held onto power in June.
The demonstrators accumulated close to a base lodging French fighters on Saturday, after a call by a few several civic organisations to the French military presence in the west African country.
They held up pennants declaring “French army force leave our country”.
The walk was helped by fresh debuts in the early evening and a thick group framed at an indirect close to the French army installation on Niamey’s edges.
On Friday, as protesters held a similar rally, Niger’s military regime launched a new verbal attack on France, accusing Paris of “blatant interference” by supporting the country’s ousted president.
President Mohamed Bazoum, a French rally whose election race in 2021 had stirred up any expectations of soundness in the disturbed nation, was confined on 26 July by individuals from his watchman.
Relations with France, the country’s previous Colonia power and ally in its battle against jihadism, went quickly downhill after Paris remained by Bazoum.
The regime announced on August 3 that it would end military agreements with France, which has 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country. Paris has resisted the move on the grounds that it is legitimate.
The arrangements cover different time spans, albeit one of them dating from 2012 is expected to terminate in something like a month, as per military pioneers.
The tactical rulers have additionally declared the quick “removal” of the French representative, Sylvain Itté, and said they are pulling out his political insusceptibility. They said his presence comprised a danger to public request.
In any case, the French president, Emmanuel Macron, on Monday hailed Itté’s work in Niger and said he stayed in the country in spite of being allowed a 48-hour cutoff time to leave Niger last Friday.
