FRANCE: France has announced that French and European citizens will be evacuated from Niger due to recent violence targeting the French Embassy in Niamey.
The government of France left Niger due to a worsening situation following the coup against Niger’s democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum.
ECOWAS imposed travel and economic restrictions and threatened force if Bazoum was not restored. Mali and Burkina Faso declared war on each other, threatening military intervention against Niger.
The ECOWAS financial penalties against Niger and Burkina Faso were rejected by Mali and Burkina Faso, who criticised the sanctions as illegal, illegitimate, and inhumane. The sanctions stopped business and financial dealings with Niger and froze Niger-related assets held by regional central banks.
Since 2020, Mali and Burkina Faso have been sanctioned and expelled from the group, but no military action has been suggested.
Guinea, a military-governed nation since 2021, supports the junta in Niger and urges ECOWAS to “come to its senses.” West African countries view military action as a declaration of war. Pro-junta supporters in Niamey decry France, support Putin, and urge the world community to stay away.
The Russian insignia in Niger represents anti-Western sentiments, as seen in Mali and Burkina Faso, where protesters carried Russian flags after coups. Analysts believe Niger could follow in Burkina Faso’s footsteps, vandalising Institut Francais and attacking the French Embassy. If ECOWAS uses force, it may incite conflict between supporters and opponents, as per a Niger analysts
Blinken praised the ECOWAS leadership’s commitment to Niger’s constitutional order and urged the immediate release of Bazoum and his family. Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, a junta spokesman, outlawed social media dissemination and claimed French permission to attack.
According to observers, Bazoum is being detained at his home in Niamey. The first images of him since the coup surfaced on Sunday, smiling and seated next to President Mahamat Deby of Chad.
Niger, a French colony since 1960, received military assistance and humanitarian relief from the US and France. The nation was seen as the last to collaborate with the West in combating extremism.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger in March to improve ties and deliver $150 million in direct aid, referring to it as a “model of democracy.”
According to Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, Niger must find a way to avoid sanctions since they might be disastrous. He cites the country’s dependence on the international community and the difficulty of living in improvised housing, resulting in daily struggles for rent and food.
ECOWAS, a 15-nation organisation, has attempted to protect democracies from coups since the 1990s. Since 2020, nine coups have occurred in West and Central Africa, with four ruled by military administrations. The 1990s’ bloodiest battles, including the Liberian civil war, prompted ECOWAS to intervene in Gambia to prevent outgoing president Yahya Jammeh from interfering with power transfer.
Also Read: France Seeks Improved Access to Chinese Market, Not Decoupling
