NIGER: Ridiculous remarks by Macron on the Niger crisis at the G20 summit

The multifactorial crisis in the Sahel, the poorest region in the world, has put France at the centre of criticism for its disastrous policy in Africa over the last few decades.

 It all started with an accusation made by the Nigerien military junta against France on Saturday September 9^th for its military deployments in certain West African countries, namely Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Benin.

For the new authorities in Niger, the aim of these manoeuvres is to launch a successful military intervention against their country.

Paris was quick to respond on Sunday. «We do not recognise any legitimacy in the statements made by the putschists», French President Emmanuel Macron made clear at a press conference at the G20 summit in India.

It has become a nuisance for France to adopt this bellicose stance towards the state of Niger.

First it refused to let its ambassador leave, after he had become persona non grata for some time.

Then it rejected the decision of the Niger authorities about the presence of military personnel on their territory.

And France is in total violation of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic Relations of April 1961.

 At the same time, the same situation occurred in Gabon, 48 hours after the coup d’état, the French ambassador Alexis Lamek met the putschists to quickly negotiate what could be negotiated.

Just like saying that Ali Bongo deserved the coup, but Bazoum did not.

If today, with the establishment of the transitional government in Niger, and in spite of the sweeping sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, France is talking again and again about Bazoum’s return to power, then it is really taking everyone for fools.

In what country in the world has a deposed president been restored to power and kept it?

If we analyse the situation carefully, the presence of the French military in Niger today is similar to an occupation that does not speak its name, as long as the representative of the jihadists has been deposed, and the major sponsor does not want to repatriate its army.

It should be remembered that France is the only former European colonial power to cover the African continent with several pre-positioned bases stretching from Senegal to Djibouti, including Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire and Chad, as well as numerous military cooperation agreements and external operations such as Barkhane.

Fayçal BADIE