in a joint statement from both governments spokesmen, Burkina Faso and Mali proclaim that in case of military attack against Niger, both countries will regard themselves at war alongside their neighbor
After a patriotic coup in Niger on July 26, 2023, French president Emmanuel Macron has claimed on July 30 that France would not tolerate any attack against France and its interests, when synchronous in Nigeria, ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) representatives have issued an ultimatum, demanded the restoration of constitutional order within one week. The day after, the new authorities forbid the exportation of uranium or gold to France and in the evening, Burkina Faso and Mali guarantee their solidarity with Niger
A French company is mining the uranium in Niger, which is meeting about 35% of French needs. 1,500 French service members and 1,100 US ones are based in Niger. An attack may also come from ECOWAS, including neighboring Benin and Nigeria. The main French stronghold in the region is Ivory Coast
The joint statement reminds that the pretext for the French military bases, a jihadist insurrection, is the direct result of the destruction of Libya, that NATO attacks caused in 2011, at the instigation of France. The conclusion is
May God bless Africa and preserve Africans
- August 1, 2023
Through Niamey airport, France starts evacuating its nationals from Niger, other European countries follow
In Burkina and Mali, despite successive coups, the French have not returned. This repatriation decision is certainly an indication of anticipation of a deterioration of the situation in Niamey and a probable intervention of the external army
says Alain Antil, researcher within IFRI think tank. I agree.
- August 2, 2023
- August 4, 2023
The new Nigerien authorities denounce the military agreements with France, since 1977, on military-technical cooperation or legal regime for the presence of the French military in Niger. That decision implies the withdraw of the French troops within 30 days
Paris refuses to leave its military bases and replies that its boys are at home in Niger [joke], that only the legitimate authorities of Niger [the previous ones, French-sponsored] could annul the agreements
That is a stuttering in French identity and history. France previously refused to leave Indochina or Algeria, was twice defeated. The wide world is impatient
- August 5, 2023
67-year-old Catherine Colonna is French foreign affairs minister. She states
There is still some time for the coup makers to give back power [they] had better to take the threat of military intervention by a regional force [France’s stooges in this case] very seriously
In order to maintain its interests [Emmanuel Macron on July 30], France is clearly pushing for a proxy war in its former colony. But Nigeria senate reject any military invasion of Niger, that two major neighbors, not members of ECOWAS, Algeria and Chad, are strongly opposing.
- August 6, 2023
Gathered in a stadium in Niamey, 30,000 supporters cheer the Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie [CNSP, National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland]
At about 9:00 pm, due to the supposed threat of French airstrikes, the CNSP announces the closure of the national airspace. But at the deadline of ECOWAS ultimatum, nobody attacks Niger. The French ambition of a proxy war in West Africa fait pschitt [fizzles out] would have said ancient president Jacques Chirac.
- August 7, 2023
The French stance is such a colonialist blunder that Victoria Nuland, US deputy Secretary of State, travels to Niamey, where she attempts to appease the new authorities
The same day, a group of senators, members of Les Républicains right-wing party, publish in Le Figaro newspaper an open letter to Emmanuel Macron. They write
Today, Françafrique of yesterday has been replaced by military Russafrique, economic Chinafrica or diplomatic America. And what about, unfortunately, the regression of the Francophonie in relation to the English language?
Doesn’t that mean more soberly African Africa ? French arrogance at its best, many French are still living in the 20th century, even before WW2. Much remains to be done in France, the awakening will be tough.
- August 10, 2023
French foreign affairs ministry reiterates all its support to ECOWAS, which after a new meeting in Nigeria, states immediate activation of all [military] standby forces.
- August 13, 2023
Colonel Amadou Abdraman is spokesman of the military junta in Niger. He states that former president Mohamed Bazoum will be sued for for high treason, over his exchanges with foreign heads of state and international organizations.
- August 21, 2023
Yevgeny Prigozhin broadcasts a message from an undisclosed site in West Africa
We are working. Temperature is +50°. Everything we love. The Wagner Group is conducting reconnaissance and search activities. Makes Russia even greater, on all continents! And Africa even more free. Justice and happiness for the African peoples. Nightmare of ISIS, Al Qaeda and other terrorists. We are hiring real heroes and continue to fulfill the tasks that were set and that we have pledged to accomplish
Prigozhin is the head of Wagner, a Russian private military company (PMC).
Algeria has rejected a request to allow French military aircraft in its airspace. That wise decision will complicate the lines of communication of the French proxy war in West Africa.
- August 25, 2023
The Nigerien authorities give French ambassador Sylvain Itté 48 hours to leave. As expected, the French foreign affairs ministry replies that the Nigerien authorities would not be empowered to expel the ambassador of the former colonial power.
- August 30, 2023
A patriot coup in Gabon overthrows Ali Bongo, president since 2009, his father Omar between 1967 and 2009. The elder said in 1996
Africa without France is a car without a driver. France without Africa is a car without fuel
2,000 km southeast of Niger, Gabon is not member of ECOWAS but was still a French puppet regime in Africa
- September 1, 2023
Here is a good report on social networks about the situation in Niger and its latest vagaries
Isolated over the option of military intervention, France provokes the coup makers. “The French army is ready to respond to any increase in tension which would target French military and diplomatic facilities [French army staff on September 1].
In recent days, Paris is going all out by stoking these tensions as much as possible. Maintaining at all costs its ambassador, who has received the order to leave the territory, categorical refusal to withdraw its soldiers, when the ultimatum will expire on September 3, even diplomatic declarations totally out of touch. That strategy is simple, hope for a skirmish with the coup makers – or a tragedy – to justify a military intervention that is less and less likely.
Already deprived of the support of the African Union, Paris is in fact losing that of ECOWAS, Nigeria having just opened the door to a transition. Even worse for France, during the summit of foreign ministers, the EU is giving “priority to the diplomatic route” and campaigning for an “African solution to an African situation”. In other words, everyone is rallying around the position defended by Washington since the first day.
- September 5, 2023
According to newspaper Le Monde, France has started negotiating the safe withdrawal of its troops from Niger
- September 15, 2023
The situation is tragic, the Nigerien authorities are blockading in Niamey the French embassy, that a French garrison is defending, I have read two hundred servicemen. Emmanuel Macron alerts : the French diplomats are hostages, because they are forced to eat army rations
My heart bleeds when I think that if France had agreed with the Nigerien authorities, in order to evacuate the French ambassador, the latter could now feast with Macron in la Rotonde, the canteen of the president, boulevard Montparnasse.
- September 16, 2023
Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger sign Liptako-Gourma Charter, which establishes the defense Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
- September 24, 2023
Niger wins, the French diplomatic staff will be evacuated in the next hours, troops will withdraw before the end of the year
At the end of an interview on French TV, Emmanuel Macron states
France has decided to bring back its ambassador and therefore, in the coming hours, our ambassador with several diplomats will return to France. And we are ending our military cooperation with the de facto authorities of Niger, because they no longer want to fight terrorism
Macron is a usual liar, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are indeed fighting terrorism. As a reminder, the jihadist insurrection in the Sahel was the direct result of the destruction of Libya, that NATO attacks caused in 2011, at the instigation of France. Named Serval then Barkhane, the French antiterrorist operation was a failure. For fear of significant casualties which would have shocked public opinion, France did not really make war. 31 KIA service members since 2013 in the whole region are in military terms, marginal. On October 14, 2017, a single day in Niger, the US lost 4 members of the Special Operations Forces. But the French troops have slaughtered scores of civilians.
- October 10, 2023
The French troops have started withdrawing from Niger
Nicolas Cinquini 
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