Thousands of Nigeriens on Saturday protested in the country’s capital, Niamey, frantically demanding that France withdraw its ambassador and troops from the West African country as its new military rulers have accused the former colonial power of ‘interference’.
Following a summons from various civic organisations opposed to the French military deployment, the demonstrators gathered close to a military base housing French soldiers on Saturday. They waved flags with the message, ‘French army, leave our country.’
Africa Today News, New York reports that the military regime that took control of Niger on July 26 has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of using divisive language in his remarks on the coup and attempting to establish a neocolonial relationship with its former colony.
Macron has backed deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and refused to recognise Niger’s new rulers. Sylvain Itte, France’s ambassador, has remained in Niger, despite a 48-hour deadline to leave the country given more than a week ago, a decision Macron said he “applauds”.
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Demonstrators were seen expressing frustration about there still being French presence in the country were beginning to take matters into their own hands.
According to security personnel, the protest was scheduled to begin about 3pm (14:00 GMT) but thousands of demonstrators had already gathered by 10am (09:00 GMT), taking police and security forces by surprise.
Idris said the protests that have taken place over the past few days have been “relatively calm and organised” but that, on Saturday, demonstrators were seen “breaking the barriers set up by the security forces, the police and the military” and approaching the base with some trying to force their way in.
The military has since reinforced the area around the French base, which houses about 1,500 French troops, and warned against forceful entry and about the repercussions that would follow.
But the demonstrators said they would not leave.
“All military bases. We want to fight to remove from our country all military bases,” said protester Doubou-Kambou Hamidou. “We don’t want it. Because for more than 13 years, terrorism has been here. They don’t care to fight terrorism,” he told Al Jazeera.
Niger’s military rulers have accused Paris of “blatant interference” by backing Bazoum, who has been in custody since the July 26 coup.
Macron said on Friday that he had spoken daily with Bazoum since he was removed from power.