2023-08-01 09:31:39
In front of the French Embassy in Niamey, Niger, July 30, 2023. – / AFP
The French in Niger were warned on Tuesday August 1 by a message from the French Embassy in Niamey that a “air evacuation operation [était] In preparation “ et “will take place very soon”which was confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris.
“Faced with the deterioration of the security situation in Niger, and taking advantage of the relative calm in Niamey, an evacuation operation by air is being prepared from Niamey”according to the message, which states that“it will take place very soon and over a very short period of time. » In Paris, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that“an evacuation [était] being organized and will intervene very quickly ».
The message to the French states that “this evacuation operation (…) was coordinated with the Nigerien forces”. It specifies to French nationals that “the exact date, time and location of the assembly and departure point [leur] will be communicated as soon as possible. and that they should “join the assembly point” by their “own means”.
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“You must not fall into the trap”
On Monday, the soldiers who seized power in Niger and overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum accused France of wanting “to intervene militarily”which Paris denied. ” It’s wrong “said the head of French diplomacy, Catherine Colonna, on BFM-TV. “You have to dismantle the intox and not fall into the trap”she also said of the anti-French slogans that flourished during a demonstration outside the French embassy in Niamey on Sunday.
On this occasion, thousands of people wanted to enter the embassy, before being dispersed by tear gas canisters. The Nigerien putschists specified that these shots had “six injured, taken care of by hospitals” of the capital. Emmanuel Macron threatened on Sunday to retaliate “immediately and intractably” to any attack against French nationals and the interests of France in Niger.
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Monday evening, Ouagadougou and Bamako affirmed that any military intervention to restore Mohamed Bazoum would be considered “like a declaration of war” to their two countries and “would result in the withdrawal of Burkina Faso and Mali from ECOWAS [Communauté économique des Etats d’Afrique de l’Ouest]as well as the adoption of self-defense measures in support of the armed forces and the people of Niger”.
Niger’s West African neighbors had threatened on Sunday to use ” strength “ if President Bazoum was not restored to office within seven days, a decision supported by Niamey’s Western partners, including France, a former colonial power in the Sahel region undermined by jihadist violence.
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