The Nigerien coup junta demanded on Friday the departure of the French ambassador, Sylvain Itté, from the country within 48 hours, alleging "his refusal to respond to the invitation of the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs" for an interview, in addition to "other acts contrary to the French Government to the interests of Niger”. Paris rejected the request, as well as the authority of the coup leaders, according to the newspaper Le Monde. On Friday night the rumor circulated that it was also intended to expel the ambassadors of Nigeria, Germany and the United States –also in 48 hours–, all according to alleged letters that circulated on the internet. The US State Department issued a denial in this regard, referring to the Niger Foreign Ministry itself.
All this does not imply that the tension in the Sahel country will drop, but rather the contrary. The military junta put the armed forces on high alert, citing a threat of attack, according to an internal document issued on Friday whose authenticity was confirmed to Reuters by a security source in the country, and which was widely released yesterday.
The main regional bloc, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), has been trying to negotiate with the leaders of the July 26 coup, but has said it is willing to deploy troops to restore constitutional order if diplomatic efforts fail. . In a statement published yesterday, ECOWAS assured that it will "fully" explore diplomatic channels to resolve the situation in Niger.
"For the avoidance of doubt, let me state unequivocally that ECOWAS has neither declared war on the people of Niger nor is there a plan, as claimed, to invade the country," ECOWAS Commission Chairman Omar Alieu told reporters. Touray.
The bloc's decision in early August to activate a so-called standby force for possible intervention has raised fears of an escalation that could further destabilize the insurgency-ravaged Sahel region. ECOWAS rejected the proposal by Niger's coup leaders for a three-year transition to democratic rule as a “provocation”. And the African Union announced this week that it had suspended Niger due to the military takeover.
According to analysts quoted by the specialized portal The New Humanitarian, the support of the president of Niger, Mohamed Bazoum, for the migration policies of the European Union was one of the several factors that contributed to his overthrow through a military coup, backed by thousands of people. in the capital, Niamey, motivated by a deep anti-French feeling that led them to display Russian flags, claiming the example of the Russian presence in neighboring Mali.
Niger is a major transit country for West African asylum seekers and migrants trying to reach North Africa and Europe. The business of transporting people to the border with Libya generated a whole business, until Mohamed Bazoum, in his previous position as Interior Minister, began the crackdown on migration by applying a 2015 law. “The Europeans asked us to reduce the number of immigrants entering Libya. Without the law, we had no way of doing it,” Bazoum told The New Humanitarian in a 2018 interview. Thousands of asylum seekers and migrants returning to their countries through UN-run programs have been stranded in Niger since the hit last month.
