Niger: The people protest against France and Ecowas
Thousands of people marched in the capital city of Niger, Niamey, on Sunday to protest against France and ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States).
The protesters chanted slogans such as «Down with France» and «Down with ECOWAS», some even carrying Russian flags.
They gathered in front of the National Assembly headquarters in downtown Niamey and marched nearly three kilometers to reach the French embassy.
There, they warned France against interfering in Niger’s internal affairs and demanded the immediate withdrawal of the Barkhane force from Niger.
A significant security presence prevented the demonstrators from getting closer to the embassy premises.
This protest against France and Ecowas was organized by a coalition of civil society organizations called “M62” and aimed to defend Niger’s sovereignty.
It took place just before an extraordinary ECOWAS summit scheduled in Abuja, Nigeria, to discuss the military coup on July 26 against President Mohamed Bazoum.
In a statement released the day before, the military in power accused the summit of planning a military intervention in Niamey, in coordination with certain African countries outside the organization and Western countries.
The military also warned ECOWAS and any other adventurous entity about their determination to defend Niger against any external aggression.
They denounced the French military for violating the closure of airspace by landing an A-401 type aircraft at the Niamey International Airport, as per a statement released last Thursday.
Neil Camara
