Prime Minister appointed by the military regime in Niger said Monday evening that “exchanges” were “in progress” for the French forces based in the country to withdraw “quickly”, while hoping to “maintain cooperation” with France. He also wants an “agreement” with ECOWAS “in a few days”.
Recalling that the Nigerien government has denounced military agreements with Paris, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine affirmed that the French forces “are in a position of illegality” and considered that “the exchanges which are in progress should allow these forces to withdraw very quickly”. “What interests us is, if possible, to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared a lot of things”, he added, during a press conference.
“Down with France!” France get out! » Thousands of demonstrators gathered again on Sunday for the third consecutive day near a military base housing French soldiers in the Nigerien capital Niamey. Some 1,500 French soldiers are in Niger to take part in the fight against jihadists within the framework of bilateral military agreements.
Diplomatic tensions are at their height between the military regime in power since the July 26 coup and France, which does not recognize their legitimacy. On August 3, the generals who took power in a coup had denounced several of these agreements. One of these texts contained a notice of one month, according to the military.
“The contempt” of the French ambador
Niger also withdrew diplomatic immunity and visa from French Ambador Sylvain Itté and demanded his expulsion. But France, which regularly reaffirms that it does not recognize the new authorities of Niamey, does not intend to apply these decisions, whether it is a question of the soldiers or the ambador. “We do not have to follow the orders of a minister who has no legitimacy,” said Monday the head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna.
Monday, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine considered that the French ambador had had a “contemptuous behavior”, by refusing to respond to an invitation to a meeting with the authorities on August 25.