NIAMEY, Sept 8 (Reuters) – Demonstrators have been staging a protest outside a French military base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, for the past six days, demanding the departure of French troops. This marks a growing anti-French sentiment among supporters of the military coup that took place in July.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The protest began last Saturday, approximately five weeks after soldiers ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and seized power in a coup, an event that garnered international condemnation but found support among some in the country.
Relations between Niger and its former colonizer, France, have deteriorated since Paris declared the junta illegitimate, fueling anti-French sentiments. There have been calls for the approximately 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger as part of the fight against Islamist insurgency in the Sahel to exit the country. France has thus far rejected these demands.
Rallies in support of the junta have occurred repeatedly since the coup, but the crowd outside the French military base has grown and shows no signs of dispersing.
On Friday, protesters marked the Muslim midday prayers, which are traditionally held in a mosque in front of the base. One protester, Hassane Aissa Seyni, expressed frustration, stating, “France has never stood by its colonies and helped us. On the contrary, they are here to plunder our resources.”
