France and the EU do not “recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch”, Paris suspends its budgetary aid

2023-07-29 18:00:23

France suspends “all its development aid and budget support actions” in Niger after the military coup against elected President Mohamed Bazoum, the French Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday. Paris “calls for the return without delay to the Nigerien constitutional order, around President Bazoum, elected by the Nigeriens”, reaffirms the ministry in a press release.

Emmanuel Macron had earlier condemned the coup “with the greatest firmness”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicating that France “does not recognize the authorities” resulting from the putsch. The French president opened a National Defense and Security Council on Saturday at 3 p.m. on this country, where 1,500 soldiers from France are currently deployed and have worked so far with the Nigerien army.

Brussels calls for the release of the ousted president

After the United States, the European Union had for its part announced this Saturday morning that it “will not recognize the authorities resulting from the putsch” in Niger, and that it immediately suspends “all its cooperation actions in the security field with the Sahel country, said EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell.

President Mohamed Bazoum, overthrown by a military coup, “was democratically elected, he is and therefore remains the only legitimate President of Niger. His release must come unconditionally and without delay,” Borrell pleaded in a statement. In addition to the suspension of all budgetary aid, “all cooperation actions in the security field are suspended sine die with immediate effect”, he added.

The African Union, for its part, demanded the “immediate return” of the Nigerien soldiers to their barracks and the “restoration of constitutional authority” within 15 days, in a press release published after a meeting of this body on Friday.