NIAMEY (Reuters) – Protesters have been camped outside a French military base in Niger’s capital city of Niamey for the past six days, demanding the departure of the troops. This demonstration comes five weeks after a military coup led by soldiers who toppled President Mohamed Bazoum and seized power, an act that has received condemnation internationally but has been celebrated by many within the country.
Since Paris declared the junta illegitimate, tensions between Niger and its former colonizer France have escalated, fueling anti-French sentiment. There have been calls for the approximately 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger to leave the country, who are there as part of the wider effort to combat an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel. However, France has rejected these appeals.
Rallies supporting the junta have been occurring regularly since the coup. However, the crowd outside the French military base has grown significantly and shows no signs of dispersing.
On Friday, protestors gathered in front of the base to celebrate Muslim midday prayers, which are typically held in a nearby mosque.
One woman named Hassane Aissa Seyni, sitting among other women wearing headscarves after the prayer, stated, “France has never supported its colonies or aided us. On the contrary, they are present here to exploit our resources.”
Reporting for this news article was done by Abdel-Kader Mazou, with writing by Sofia Christensen and editing by Alex Richardson.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
