At the end of July, the military in Niger overthrows the president, suspends the constitution and appoints its own interim government. For France, the country is an important military base.
After the coup in Niger, French President Emmanuel Macron called for a return to democracy in the West African country. “As far as Niger is concerned, we are clear: the coup is a coup against democracy in Niger, against the people of Niger and against the fight against terrorism,” Macron told Le Point magazine. That is why France is demanding the release of the detained President Mohamed Bazoum and the “restoration of the constitutional order”.
Macron defended France’s military presence in West Africa in the fight against terrorism. “If we hadn’t engaged with Operations Serval and then Barkhane, there is no doubt that Mali and Burkina Faso would no longer exist, and I am not sure myself that Niger would still exist.” These French operations at the request of the African states were a success. They would have prevented the formation of caliphates a few thousand kilometers from the borders of France.
“I believe in a partnership policy”
“There is certainly a political crisis in many countries in West Africa,” said Macron. “But if there is a coup and if the fight against terrorism is not the priority of the new rulers, France does not feel compelled to remain committed. It is indeed dramatic for the countries concerned,” said the President. Since taking office, he has represented an Africa policy that is no longer based on a security logic. “I believe in a policy of partnership, where France represents its interests and is committed to Africa’s success.”
Niger, a country with around 26 million inhabitants and one of the poorest populations in the world, was one of the last democratic partners of the USA and European states in the Sahel region on the southern edge of the Sahara before the coup. France and the US have important military bases in the country, which is also on a key migration route to Europe. On July 26, the military ousted the president and suspended the constitution. The putschists have since appointed their own interim government.
Source: Stern
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