Niger Coup leaders accuse French troops of 'destabilising' country
Aug 10, 2023
Niamey [Niger], August 10 : Coup leaders in Niger have accused French forces of violating the prohibition on using its airspace to 'destabilise' the West African nation, as France promptly rejected the allegations, an Al Jazeera report said.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for the coup leaders, alleged in a video address on Wednesday that France had freed 16 "terrorist elements" who then assembled to plot an attack on Nigerien military posts along the border.
He said that at 6:30 am (05:30 GMT), a National Guard unit was attacked in Bourkou Bourkou, which is located around 30 kilometres (18.6 miles) from the Samira gold mine in the Tillaberi district, according to Al Jazeera.
The colonel further claimed that a French military aircraft violated a restriction on the country’s airspace.
Abdramane stated, “We are witnessing a real plan of destabilisation of our country, orchestrated by French forces."
France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs rejected the accusations and said its aircraft movements were part of an earlier agreement with Nigerien forces.
Notably, soldiers from Niger's presidential guard overthrew the government and detained President Mohammad Bazoum on July 26, sparking international outrage and the possibility of a military invasion by other West African countries.
On Sunday, the Nigerien airspace was shut down by the coup leaders, who also forbade any outside intervention, reported Al Jazeera.
Niger has been engulfed in political chaos since late last month when the country's President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted in a coup. Following the military coup Abdourahamane Tiani, the commander of Niger's presidential guard, has declared himself the country's leader.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has spoken to Niger President Mohamed Bazoum and reiterated America's calls for his release. Taking to his official Twitter handle, Blinken said that he spoke to Niger's President to express our continued efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the current constitutional crisis.
He tweeted, "Spoke to Nigerien President Bazoum to express our continued efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the current constitutional crisis. The United States reiterates our call for the immediate release of him and his family."
Earlier, on Tuesday, US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller said that Acting Secretary Victoria Nuland met with leaders of the junta in Niger, making it clear that there would be consequences if they didn’t return to the diplomatic path.
Miller also added that there are hundreds of millions of dollars of US assistance at stake in Niger.
