Niger: Thousands rally in the nation’s capital Niamey, chanting, “French Army, Leave Our Country”

Numerous crowds gathered on Saturday in Niamey, the capital of Niger, to call for France, a former colonial power, to evacuate its soldiers as requested by the junta that took control in July.

Following a request by numerous civic organizations opposed to the French military presence in the West African nation, the demonstrators gathered close to a facility housing French troops. “French army leave our country” was written on flags they were holding up.

Fresh arrivals in the afternoon gave the protest a boost, and a large throng gathered at a roundabout on the outskirts of Niamey, close to the French military post.

On Friday, while demonstrators organized a parallel demonstration, the military government of Niger launched a fresh rhetorical salvo against France, accusing Paris of “blatant interference” by supporting the country’s deposed president.

President Mohamed Bazoum was seized on July 26 by members of his security. Bazoum is a close supporter of France, and his election in 2021 had raised expectations of peace in the unrest-ridden nation. After Paris stood by Bazoum, relations with France, the nation’s former colonial power and partner in its struggle against jihadism, rapidly deteriorated.

In a decision that Paris has rejected on the basis of legality, the government stated on August 3 that it was terminating military ties with France, which has roughly 1,500 troops stationed in the nation. According to military authorities, the agreements span a variety of dates, while one from 2012 is due to expire in less than a month.

The military leaders have also said that Sylvain Itte, the French ambassador, would be “expelled” immediately and that his diplomatic immunity will be revoked. They said that his presence threatened the peace of the community.

But on Monday, French President Emmanuel Macron praised Itte’s efforts in Niger and noted that he had stayed there despite being given a 48-hour deadline to do so last Friday.

Embassy grounds are “inviolable,” according to Article 22 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and guests’ representatives “may not enter them except with the consent of the head of the mission.”