According to the protesters, all military contacts with France have been cut off. There are no grounds for a military presence in Niger, not even a legal one. Protesters called on French President Emmanuel Macron to have “common sense”.
Earlier, the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS) spoke out against attempts by the military that came to power to form a new government. The organization has no intention of launching an armed invasion of Niger. However, the bloc’s leaders are willing to use “all means” to restore constitutional order in the country. The use of force is not excluded.
On Friday, the military that came to power in Niger said it would allow the defense forces of Mali and Burkina Faso to defend the country in the event of a foreign invasion.
The media reported that the military airfields of the Economic Community of West African Nations (ECOWAS) countries have already begun preparations for a possible military invasion of Niger. In this context, the military that took power in the country announced the recruitment of volunteers.
As the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out the day before, a possible invasion of Niger by the ECOWAS countries would not bring any benefit, but would, on the contrary, be disastrous for thousands of people.
The BRICS countries expressed their concern about the evolution of the situation in Niger, where power passed into the hands of the military. The situation there remains unstable. ECOWAS continues to threaten that country with military intervention and demands the release of ousted President Mohamed Bazum from isolation.
The press writes about the willingness of at least six African states to participate in the invasion of Niger. Among them are Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Senegal. Some journalists point out that the start date of the operation has already been determined, which is still kept secret.
Let us remember that the coup in Niger took place on July 26. Then the presidential guard under the leadership of General Omar Chiani blocked the palace of the head of state Mohamed Bazum, announcing his overthrow.
