Out of the impasse in Niger, without recognizing the de facto authorities and in a climate of growing hostility, this is what Paris is trying to do. After five weeks of tensions with the perpetrators of the coup d’état on July 26, France finally began discussions on the redeployment of part of its forces engaged in this Sahel country, on Wednesday, September 06, 2023.

After initially refusing to comply with the injunctions of the Nigerien military, who made the departure of the French soldiers their political fuel, the Ministry of Armies and several concordant sources admitted, Tuesday, September 5, the World opened a discussion on the modalities of the «withdrawal of certain military elements».

At the beginning of August, the junta gave France a month to withdraw from Nigerien territory, after having denounced the military cooperation agreements that until now linked Paris and Niamey. On Saturday, September 2, on the eve of the expiration of the ultimatum set by the putschists, thousands of pro-junta Nigeriens demonstrated again against the presence of the French military, a few steps from the base they occupy in Niamey with other foreign detachments.

Faced with the will of the putschists in Niger who want to expel the French ambassador to Niger, President Emmanuel Macron does not intend to yield to pressure.

At the annual conference of ambassadors held at the Elysée Palace on Monday, August 28, 2023, the French President defended the retention of the ambassador in Niamey. Emmanuel Macron is uncompromising:

“The problem of Nigeriens today is that they are being threatened by putschists because they are abandoning the fight against terrorism, they are abandoning a policy that is economically sound. They are losing all the international funding that allowed them to get out of poverty. That is the reality. We do not recognize the putschists and we support President Bazoum. We support the diplomatic and even military action of ECOWAS in a partnership approach” served the Head of State of France.

The tenant of the Elysee Palace believes that a coup against a democratically elected president, from a minority ethnic group and who has carried out courageous reforms is simply unacceptable. “Our policy is the right one! It is based on the courage of President Bazoum, the commitment of our diplomats who remain despite the pressure and thanks to the commitment of our internal security forces and our military. We are clear, we will not yield to a narrative used for the putschists that consists in saying that our enemy is France,” Macron added.

Former Ivorian President Laurent Gbagbo is known for his well-hung language. Recently, the predecessor of Alassane Ouattara once again spoke about the situation in Niger, on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. He condemned the putsch in that country, while noting that the coups de force «are part of our political agendas» in West Africa. It would therefore be a complete delusion to think that we can fight them.

“When you fiddle with the constitution to get a third term…”

Moreover, most heads of state who want to send troops to Niger are «coup makers», says Gbagbo. “When your constitution says you’re entitled to two terms, no more, and the second term, you fiddle with the constitution to get a third term… It’s not a coup? So it’s a lie game…” denounced the former president.

Needless to say, the current Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara ran for third term in 2020 following the death of his dauphin Amadou Gon Coulibaly. This reflection of Laurent Gbagbo is obviously a spade sent to Mr Ouattara who is at least, favorable to an armed intervention of ECOWAS in Niger. He has even given instructions to the Ivorian army to prepare for this operation.

«We are backed from behind to go make a blow for uranium,… »

Laurent Gbagbo believes that we are not lying to President Mohamed Bazoum when we let him believe that a military intervention will put him back in his presidential chair. “You lie when you let people believe you want to go to Niger, to resettle Bazoum in a democratic chair. But that is not why we are going there. We are backed up from behind to do a job for uranium, gas, oil, etc. We are lying to him. He must be released, but to make him believe that we are going to resettle him to power, we lie to him. Bazoum is a pretext,” assured Laurent Gbagbo.

It calls on ECOWAS to send its standby force to fight terrorists in the Sahel and other countries of the economic area.