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☆ Niger: Russian weapons and trainers arrive, weeks after US military agreement ends
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Michael Rios | Mariya Knight | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Russia has delivered military equipment to Niger that will provide the African country with the “latest generation of anti-aircraft defense systems,” Nigerien state broadcaster RTN said Thursday. The equipment arrived in Niamey on Wednesday along with 100 Russian military instructors who will install the system and train Nigerien soldiers to use it, RTN added. AFP/Getty ImagesThe arrival of Russian instructors followed a recent phone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Nigerien General Abdourahamane Tiani on March 26 when the two leaders discussed “ensuring security and combating terrorism.”Since seizing power in a coup last year, Niger’s junta has been strengthening military ties with Russia while turning away from the US and France. Last month, the junta said it was ending an accord with the US that allowed military personnel and civilian staff from the US Department of Defense to operate in Niger. France, Niger’s former colonial ruler, withdrew its troops from the African nation at the end of 2023.

Persons: RTN, Novosti, Seyni, Vladimir Putin, Abdourahamane Tiani Organizations: CNN, RIA Novosti, NATO, Niger's National Council, Safeguard, Getty, Nigerien, US Department of Defense Locations: Russia, Niger, Nigerien, Niamey, Africa, ”, Agust, AFP, France, Niger . France

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger's junta said Saturday the U.S. military presence in the country is no longer justified, making the announcement on state television after holding high-level talks with U.S. diplomatic and military officials this week. He said Niger was suspending military cooperation with Washington and added that U.S. flights over the country’s territory in recent weeks were illegal. The U.S. has also invested years and hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger's military. Photos You Should See View All 60 ImagesThe Niger junta spokesman said the U.S. tone was condescending and threatened Niger's sovereignty. The U.S. military had some 650 personnel working in Niger in December, according to a White House report to Congress.

Persons: — Niger's, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Niger's, Mohammed Bazoum, Molly Phee, Michael Langley, Phee, Jessica Donati Organizations: U.S, Washington, European Union, military's, Command, Niger, Associated Press Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, U.S, Africa's Sahel, Agadez, Niamey, Washington, Africa, France, Dakar, Senegal

☆ US Determined to Remain Strong Security Partner for Nigeria -Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

ABUJA/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday said the United States is determined to remain a strong security partner for Nigeria, whose military is backed by the U.S., Britain and other allies in a long war against Islamist insurgents. "The United States is determined to be and remain a strong security partner for Nigeria," Blinken told reporters. Blinken added that he discussed how it is vitally important there be a focus on ensuring civilians are protected and humanitarian considerations. The coup in Niger was one of a series of military takeovers or attempted power grabs that occurred in West and Central Africa over the past three years. So far, about $2 billion of the backlog across sectors such as manufacturing, aviation, and petroleum have been paid, CBN spokesperson Hakama Sidi Ali said in a statement.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Blinken, Bola Tinubu, Mohamed Bazoum, Hakama Sidi Ali, Chijioke Ohuocha, Felix Onuah, Daphne Psaledakis, Humeyra Pamuk, Simon Lewis, Ismail Shakil, Mark Porter, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Islamist, European Union, France, Central Bank of Nigeria Locations: ABUJA, WASHINGTON, United States, Nigeria, U.S, Britain, Niger, West, Central Africa, Abuja, Africa, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Angola, Jan, Africa's, Washington

☆ Russia and Niger Agree to Develop Military Ties, Moscow Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

(Reuters) - Russia and Niger, under military rule since a coup last year, have agreed to develop military cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday. According to Russian news agencies, Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger's junta-appointed Defense Minister Salifu Modi on Tuesday. Niger's military council, led by General Abdourahamane Tiani, took power after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum in July 2023. Niger's junta-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine has also arrived in Moscow. During the visit, Zeine intends to discuss widening a partnership with Russia in the areas of defense, agriculture and energy.

Persons: Yunus, Bek Yevkurov, Alexander Fomin, Salifu Modi, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Mohamed Bazoum, Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine, Zeine, Maxim Rodionov, Ron Popeski, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Reuters, Russian Defense Ministry, Russian, Niger's, European Union Locations: Russia, Niger, Russian, Niger's, Moscow, United States, Europe, China

☆ Niger junta repeals law aimed at slowing migration to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Niger's junta, which took power in a July coup, repealed the law on Saturday and announced it on Monday evening on state television. In return, the European Union launched the 5 billion euro Trust Fund for Africa in 2015, aimed at eradicating the root causes of migration, but many felt it was not enough. How European leaders greet the news, and the impact on migration to Europe, is yet to be seen. Andre Chani used to earn thousands of dollars a month driving migrants through the desert before police impounded his trucks in 2016. Reporting by Moussa Aksar and Edward McAllister; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Yara, Andre Chani, Moussa Aksar, Edward McAllister, Grant McCool Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Fund, Thomson Locations: Lampedusa, Italy, NIAMEY, West Africans, Europe, Niger, Africa, Agadez

☆ Niger's Ousted President Bazoum Attempts Escape, Junta Captors Claim
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Niger's junta said on Thursday that it had thwarted an escape attempt by ousted President Mohamed Bazoum who has been imprisoned by the military since a July 26 coup despite international calls for his release. The interim authorities said that Bazoum and his family, with the help of accomplices in the security forces, planned to drive a vehicle to the ouskirts of the capital Niamey and catch a helicopter to neighbouring Nigeria. "The strong reaction of the defense and security forces made it possible to foil this plan to destabilize our country," a military spokesman said on national television. Reuters was not able to confirm the account or reach Bazoum, whose whereabouts are unknown. Bazoum's party and family members say he has had no access to running water, electricity or fresh goods, prompting condemnation from former western allies.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Bazoum, Boureima Balima, Edward McAllister, Diane Craft Organizations: Reuters Locations: NIAMEY, Niamey, Nigeria, West Africa's, Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso

WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States on Tuesday formally declared the ousting of Niger's democratically-elected president a coup d'etat, more than two months after mutinous soldiers seized power. The coup designation comes with the suspension of counterterrorism assistance and military training as well as the pausing of certain foreign assistance programs worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Under U.S. law, a formal determination of a coup — the unconstitutional overthrow of a democratically elected government — typically results in a suspension of all non-humanitarian assistance, particularly military aid and cooperation, to the country concerned. The bases are a critical part of America’s overall efforts in West Africa and Niger, hosting more than 1,000 troops in the country. While a sizeable footprint remains in the country, those troops are not conducting either partnered training or counterterrorism missions, administration officials said, raising questions as to why they were staying.

Persons: Niger's, it’s, we’ve, they've, ”, Niger Kathleen FitzGibbon, Mohamed Bazoum who’s, Bazoum, —, Biden, Peter Pham, ___ Mednick Organizations: WASHINGTON, National Council for, U.S, Islamic, Atlantic Council Locations: United States, U.S, West African, Ambassador, Niger, Sahel, Burkina Faso, Mali, West Africa, Niamey, Agadez, West Africa’s, Cotonou, Benin

☆ French Troops Begin Withdrawal From Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - French military convoys have begun withdrawing from bases in southwest Niger, marking the start of a departure demanded by Niger's junta that has dealt a further blow to France's influence in West Africa's conflict-hit Sahel region. Pickup trucks and armoured personnel carriers laden with French troops drove through the dusty outskirts of the capital Niamey on Tuesday, a Reuters reporter said, after the junta late on Monday said the withdrawal would kick off the following day. A few dozen French servicemen flew out of Niger on a military plane on Monday, an airport worker and two other sources familiar with the flight said. A joint France-Niger withdrawal plan, seen by Reuters, said Niger's military would provide security back-up to the French convoys withdrawing by land. (Reporting by Abdel-Kader Mazou and Boureima Balima; Additional reporting and writing by Hereward Holland; Editing by Alessandra Prentice and Jonathan Oatis)

Persons: Monday, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Hereward Holland, Alessandra Prentice, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Niger's, Reuters Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, West, Niamey, Chad, France, Mali, Burkina Faso, Africa

☆ Blinken Reiterates US Support for Niger Civilian Govt in Call With Ousted Leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke on Monday with Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted in a military coup in July, to reiterate Washington's support for the African country's democratically elected government, the State Department said in a statement. Blinken told Bazoum that a civilian-led government "presents the best opportunity to ensure that Niger remains a strong partner in security and development in the region," the statement said. Soldiers from the presidential guard detained Bazoum on July 26 and have set up a transitional government, one of a series of recent coups in West Africa's Sahel region. "The United States calls for the immediate release of all those unjustly detained following the military takeover," the State Department said. (Reporting by Eric Beech; editing by Dan Whitcomb)

Persons: Antony Blinken, Mohamed Bazoum, Blinken, Bazoum, Eric Beech, Dan Whitcomb Organizations: WASHINGTON, African, State Department Locations: Niger, West Africa's, United States

But in an about turn, Macron announced on Sunday that the ambassador would return to Paris and French troops would leave. Two security sources in Niger said Itte had flown out of the country. Demonstrators hold placards and Niger's flags as they gather outside Niger's embassy in support of the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum in Paris, France, August 5, 2023. Crowds of junta supporters have spent days camping outside a French military base to demand the troops' departure. Some analysts have expressed concern that the withdrawal of French troops from Niger could further hamper Western efforts to stem the violence, which has risen since the coups, and bolster Russian influence in the region.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Sylvain Itte, Mohamed Bazoum, Macron, Itte, Catherine Colonna, Yucouba Abdou, Abdou, Niger Mohamed Bazoum, Stephanie Lecocq, Paris, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Moussa Aksar, Michel Rose, John Irish, Sofia Christensen, Anait, Toby Chopra, Estelle Shirbon, Philippa Fletcher, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Niger, Quai, French, Nigerien, Reuters, REUTERS, France, Thomson Locations: Niger French, NIAMEY, Niger, Paris, France, Niamey, French, N'Djamena, Niger's, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Sahel

"The public in West African countries has become increasingly wary of hosting a Western military presence," said Mucahid Durmaz, a senior analyst at London-based risk firm Verisk Maplecroft. "The French exit from Niger will push Western troops further away from the central Sahel." The U.S. has refused to call the Niger takeover a coup, meaning it can avoid severing ties for now. Unlike France, American forces do not actively engage with Niger forces against Islamist militants and could be open to working within a transition to civilian rule. Tens of thousands of people gathered outside the French military base in the capital calling for the troops' departure.

Persons: Mahamadou, Mucahid Durmaz, Verisk, Emmanuel Macron, Russia's, Washington's, Defence Lloyd Austin, Washington, Nathaniel Powell, Joe Biden, Macron, Aissami Tchiroma, It's, Oxford Analytica, Paris, Jalel Harchaoui, John Irish, Edward McAllister, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Andrew Gray, George Obulutsa, Andrew Heavens Organizations: French Army, REUTERS, London, Russia's Wagner, Defence, Oxford, Protesters, France, Military, Royal United Services Institute, Thomson Locations: France, Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger PARIS, DAKAR, West Africa, West, Russia, United States, Libya, The U.S, Nairobi, American, West African, Afghanistan, AFRICA, French, Africa, It's, CHAD, GUINEA France, Chad, Paris, Sahel, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Senegal, Gabon, London, Brussels

☆ France to pull troops out of Niger following coup, says Macron
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

French President Emmanuel Macron waits to welcome Pope Francis, ahead of a meeting at Palais du Pharo, on the occasion of the Mediterranean Meetings (MED 2023), in Marseille, France, September 23, 2023. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 24 (Reuters) - France is to end its military cooperation with Niger and withdraw its 1,500 troops tasked with battling Islamist rebels in the Sahel region following a July coup in the West African country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. Macron said the troops would pull out by the end of the year, a move that deals a hammer blow to France's counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and France's influence in the region. Nonetheless, Macron said France, the former colonial power in Niger, would "not be held hostage by the putchists" who he has refused to recognise as the legitimate authority in the country. "We will consult with the putschists because we want things to happen calmly," Macron said in an interview with France's TF1 and France 2 television stations.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis, Yara, Macron, Mohammed Bazoum, Sybille de la Hamaide, Michel Rose, Richard Lough, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Palais du, REUTERS, Rights, France's TF1, Thomson Locations: Marseille, France, Niger, Sahel, West, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Central, Niamey

☆ France to Pull Troops Out of Niger Following Coup, Says Macron
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS (Reuters) -France is to end its military cooperation with Niger and withdraw its 1,500 troops tasked with battling Islamist rebels in the Sahel region following a July coup in the West African country, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday. Macron said the troops would pull out by the end of the year, a move that deals a hammer blow to France's counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and France's influence in the region. Nonetheless, Macron said France, the former colonial power in Niger, would "not be held hostage by the putchists" who he has refused to recognise as the legitimate authority in the country. "We will consult with the putschists because we want things to happen calmly," Macron said in an interview with France's TF1 and France 2 television stations. France's ambassador was also being pulled out and would arrive back in the country in the next few hours, Macron added.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Macron, Mohammed Bazoum, Sybille de la Hamaide, Michel Rose, Richard Lough, Sharon Singleton Organizations: PARIS, France's TF1 Locations: France, Niger, Sahel, West, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, United States, Central, Niamey

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — The military government that seized power in Niger has accused United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of “obstructing” the West African nation's full participation at the U.N.'s annual meeting of world leaders in order to appease France, Niger's former colonizer, and its allies. The junta had wanted Niger’s former ambassador to the United Nations, Bakary Yaou Sangare, who was made foreign minister after the coup, to speak on its behalf at the General Assembly. The deposed president appealed to a regional court this week to order his release and reinstatement as president. Bazoum took office in 2021 in the country's first transfer of power between elected leaders since the country's independence from France in 1960. ECOWAS has said it considers a military intervention an option for restoring Bazoum as president.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Col, Maj, Amadou Abdramane, Mohamed Bazoum, Bakary Yaou Sangare, Bakary, ” Stéphane, Guterres, Hassoumi Massoudou, ”, France, ” Abdramane, Bazoum Organizations: United Nations, African, General Assembly, General, Nigerien, European Union, West African, ECOWAS Locations: ABUJA, Nigeria, Niger, France, New York, Bazoum

☆ Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso sign Sahel security pact
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Francis Kokoroko/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBAMAKO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, three West African Sahel nations ruled by military juntas, signed a security pact on Saturday promising to come to the aid of each other in case of any rebellion or external aggression. Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to Niger's aid if it is attacked. "Any attack on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of one or more contracted parties will be considered an aggression against the other parties," according to the charter of the pact, known as the Alliance of Sahel States. "I have today signed with the Heads of State of Burkina Faso and Niger the Liptako-Gourma charter establishing the Alliance of Sahel States, with the aim of establishing a collective defence and mutual assistance framework," Mali junta leader Assimi Goita said on his X social media account. France has been forced to withdraw its troops from Mali and Burkina Faso, and is in a tense standoff with the junta that seized power in Niger after it asked it to withdraw its troops and its ambassador.

Persons: Assimi Goita, Mahamadou Issoufou, Francis Kokoroko, Mohamed Bazoum, Tiemoko Diallo, Bate Felix, Jason Neely Organizations: Economic, West African States, REUTERS, Rights, Islamic, West, Alliance, Thomson Locations: Accra, Ghana, Rights BAMAKO, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, al Qaeda, Islamic State, West African States, Sahel, State, France, Chad, Mauritania

☆ Niger Junta Ends Military Accord With Benin Amid Regional Standoff
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - The junta in Niger on Tuesday said it would end a military pact with neighbouring Benin, accusing it of authorising the deployment of troops on its territory for a possible military intervention against Niger by the West African regional bloc. The junta in a statement read on national television said Benin had "authorised the deployment of soldiers, mercenaries, and war materials" in the context of the possible ECOWAS intervention. As a result the new Nigerien authorities "decide to renounce the military cooperation agreement (with Benin)," it said. ECOWAS has not shared any details about possible deployments and Niger last week said talks with the bloc continued. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who holds ECOWAS' revolving chairmanship, has suggested that a nine-month transition back to civilian rule could satisfy regional powers.

Persons: Bola Tinubu, Boureima Balima, Alessandra Prentice, Grant McCool Organizations: West African, ECOWAS, Nigerien Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, Benin, Nigerian

☆ France calls for release of French official in Niger
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

PARIS, Sept 12 (Reuters) - France's foreign ministry on Tuesday called for the immediate release of a French official held by security forces in Niger. It said that an adviser to French nationals in Niger had been arrested by Niger security forces on September 8. The official is a "conseiller des Français de l’étranger" (adviser to French citizens abroad), who is an elected official who represents French expatriates and works closely with the country's embassies and consulates. According to the foreign ministry website, there are 442 such advisers worldwide. Their role is to help French expats with issues relating to work, schools, social security and other issues.

Persons: Tassilo Hummel, William Maclean Organizations: French, GV, Thomson Locations: Niger, France, Paris, Niamey, French

☆ Crowds camp in front of Niger French army base to press for troop departure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nigerian army officers are seen as faithfuls perform their Friday prayers in front of the French army base in Niamey, Niger September 8, 2023. Relations between Niger and its former coloniser France have worsened since Paris declared the junta illegitimate, stoking anti-French sentiment. There have been calls for around 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger as part of a wider fight against an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel to leave the country. But the crowd in front of the French military has swelled and is showing no sign of leaving. On Friday, protesters celebrated Muslim midday prayers that are usually held in a mosque in front of the base.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Aissa Seyni, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Sofia Christensen, Alex Richardson Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, Niger's, France, Paris, headscarves

☆ Crowds Camp in Front of Niger French Army Base to Press for Troop Departure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

NIAMEY (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters have been camping outside a French military base in Niger's capital Niamey for the past six days to demand the troops' departure, the latest sign of swelling anti-French sentiment among supporters of a military coup in July. Relations between Niger and its former coloniser France have worsened since Paris declared the junta illegitimate, stoking anti-French sentiment. There have been calls for around 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger as part of a wider fight against an Islamist insurgency in the Sahel to leave the country. But the crowd in front of the French military has swelled and is showing no sign of leaving. On Friday, protesters celebrated Muslim midday prayers that are usually held in a mosque in front of the base.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, Aissa Seyni, Abdel, Kader Mazou, Sofia Christensen, Alex Richardson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger's, Niamey, Niger, France, Paris, headscarves

After the coup, the United States paused certain foreign assistance programs for Niger and military training has been on hold. "The leaders of this attempted coup are putting Niger's security at risk, creating a potential vacuum that terrorist groups or other malign groups may exploit," the official said. The United States has been pressing for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis that erupted on July 26 when Niger military officers seized power, deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and placed him under house arrest. Military juntas have come to power through coups in Mali and Burkina Faso - both neighbors of Niger - in recent years. But so far, Paris has rejected calls by the coup leaders to withdraw their 1,500 troops.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mohamed Bazoum, Kathleen FitzGibbon, Nusrat al, Idrees Ali, Phil Stewart, Jonathan Oatis, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Pentagon, Reuters, American, Air Base, Islamic State, Troops, United, Niger, Thomson Locations: Niger, U.S, Niamey, Agadez, West, al Qaeda, United, Washington, United States, State, Mali, Burkina Faso, France, Paris

☆ Niger junta reopens airspace after coup - transport ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

NIAMEY, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Niger's military leaders have reopened the country's airspace to all commercial flights after closing it on Aug. 6 after they seized power in a coup, a transport ministry spokesperson said on Monday. The closure had forced Air France (AIRF.PA) and other European carriers to suspend some flights and take longer routes across the African continent. Landlocked Niger is more than twice the size of France and many flight paths across Africa would normally pass above it. The junta had initially closed Niger's airspace citing the threat of military intervention from the West African regional bloc. Reporting by Moussa Aksar; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Estelle ShirbonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Moussa Aksar, Nellie Peyton, Estelle Shirbon Organizations: Air France, West African, Thomson Locations: NIAMEY, Niger, France, Africa

☆ Huge protests in Niger call for French forces to leave after coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-02 | by ( Boureima Balima | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Anti-French sentiment has risen in Niger since the coup but soured further last week when France ignored the junta's order for its ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to leave. Reuters reporters said it was the biggest gathering yet since the coup, suggesting that support for the junta - and derision of France - was not waning. France had cordial relations with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and has about 1,500 troops stationed in Niger. On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron said he spoke to Bazoum every day and that "the decisions we will take, whatever they may be, will be based upon exchanges with Bazoum." West Africa's regional bloc ECOWAS has slapped sanctions on Niger and threatened military action as a last resort.

Persons: Mahamadou, Paris, Sylvain Itte, Yacouba, Mohamed Bazoum, Emmanuel Macron, Niger's, Bola Tinubu, Edward McAllister, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Police, France, ECOWAS, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, Niger's, West, Central Africa, France, West Africa, Mali, Burkina Faso, Africa's, United States

☆ French President Macron: I talk 'every day' to Niger's ousted president Bazoum
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Niger's President Mohamed Bazoum before a meeting over security in the Sahel region at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, November 12, 2021. The REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes Acquire Licensing RightsPARIS, Sept 1 (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that he spoke on a daily basis with Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum, who has been removed from power in a coup. "I speak every day to President Bazoum. The decisions we will take, whatever they may be, will be based upon exchanges with Bazoum," said Macron. Reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Camille Raynaud; Additional reporting by Sofia Christensen in Dakar; Editing by Andy SullivanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Mohamed Bazoum, Gonzalo Fuentes, Niger's, Bazoum, Macron, Sudip Kar, Gupta, Camille Raynaud, Sofia Christensen, Andy Sullivan Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Sahel, Paris, France, Dakar

☆ Niger junta instructs police to expel French ambassador
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Nigerien security forces launch tear gas to disperse pro-junta demonstrators gathered outside the French embassy, in Niamey, the capital city of Niger July 30, 2023. REUTERS/Souleymane Ag Anara/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNIAMEY, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The junta that seized power in Niger last month said that the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, no longer had diplomatic immunity and police had been instructed to expel him. The junta on Friday ordered the ambassador to leave the country within 48 hours in response to actions taken by the French government which it said were "contrary to the interests of Niger". The visas of the ambassador and his family were cancelled, the junta said in a statement dated Aug. 29 and confirmed as authentic by the junta's head of communications. French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that the ambassador would stay in the country despite the junta's pressure and reiterated France's support to Niger's ousted president Mohamed Bazoum.

Persons: Sylvain Itte, Emmanuel Macron, Niger's, Mohamed Bazoum, Boureima Balima, Anait Miridzhanian, Alexander Winning Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Nigerien, Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY

☆ Recent coups in West and Central Africa
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

BURKINA FASOIn January 2022, Burkina Faso's army ousted President Roch Kabore, blaming him for failing to contain violence by Islamist militants. Doumbouya became interim president and promised a transition to democratic elections within three years. CHADIn April 2021, Chad's army took power after President Idriss Deby was killed on the battlefield while visiting troops fighting rebels in the north. Deby's son, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, was named interim president and tasked with overseeing an 18-month transition to elections. But the coup leaders clashed with the interim president, retired colonel Bah Ndaw, and engineered a second coup in May 2021.

Persons: Gerauds Wilfried Obangome, Ali Bongo, Mohamed Bazoum, Abdourahamane Tiani, Burkina Faso's, Roch Kabore, Colonel Paul, Henri Damiba, Captain Ibrahim Traore, Mamady Doumbouya, Alpha Conde, Conde, Doumbouya, Idriss Deby, General Mahamat Idriss Deby, Assimi Goita, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, Bah Ndaw, Goita, Hereward Organizations: REUTERS, Islamic, West, ECOWAS, Chadian, Mali's West, Thomson Locations: Libreville, Gabon, West, Central Africa, NIGER, Niger, al Qaeda, Islamic State, Mali, Burkina, BURKINA FASO, GUINEA, CHAD, N'Djamena, MALI

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