General Abdourahmane Tiani, who was declared as the new head of state of Niger Reuters/Balima Boureima/File Photo
Niger’s coup leaders says France is amassing troops, war materials and equipment in many neighboring West African countries with the aim of “military intervention”.
France’s relations with its former colony, Niger, have deteriorated since Paris sided with ousted president Mohamed Bazoum after the coup in July.
“France continues to deploy its troops to several countries of ECOWAS, as part of the preparation of the aggressive invasion against Niger, which it is planning with the help of this ECOWAS organization,” said the spokesman of Niger’s command, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane.
Abdramane said in the news that France has sent military planes, helicopters and 40 armored vehicles to Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.
On August 3, the coup leaders suspended several military cooperation agreements between Niger and France, which has 1,500 troops in the country.
France, which refused to recognize the military regime in Niger, said it did not consider this decision because the Niger soldiers who carried out the coup were not part of the cooperation agreements they entered into with the civilian government.
The military system, on the other hand, insists that French troops are now “illegally” in Niger.