The very poor relations between France and Niger, since the generals came to power in Niamey during a coup d’état on July 26, ended in divorce. Paris has decided to close its embassy because “it is no longer able to function normally or carry out its missions”, we learned from diplomatic sources on Thursday.
This extremely rare measure comes after Niamey announced on December 12 the departure of all French soldiers deployed in Niger as part of the anti-jihadist fight by December 22, i.e. this Friday.
Relations also tense with Mali and Burkina
In Mali and Burkina Faso, where military regimes have also ousted the French army in recent years after coups, France has maintained its diplomatic representations, despite strong tensions with these countries. But the dispute seemed insurmountable in Niger where, “after the attack on our embassy on July 30, and after the establishment of a blockade around our hold by Nigerien forces, we proceeded, at the end of September, with the departure of most of our diplomatic staff,” explained the diplomatic sources.
After the July 26 coup, the military in power quickly demanded the departure of French soldiers – around 1,500 deployed to fight against the jihadists – and denounced several military agreements concluded with Paris. The military regime also pronounced at the end of August the expulsion of the French ambassador Sylvain Itté. He remained stuck inside the diplomatic representation for almost a month before leaving. He was “taken hostage”, commented Emmanuel Macron.
On July 30, the violent demonstration which targeted the French embassy turned into an “attack” and “lasted more than 2h30”, Sylvain Itté told TF1 at the end of September. “That day, we were collectively in danger and we came very, very close to the tragedy, because there were more than 6,000 people who were there to fight it out, who were there to enter the embassy,” the diplomat said.
Moscow new key player in the region
France had up to 5,500 soldiers deployed in the Sahel, before being driven out by successive coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and finally Niger. Barkhane, the Barkhane anti-jihadist force deployed in 2014 in the Sahel, crystallized the anti-French feeling of part of African public opinion. The three countries, after these putsches, then moved closer to Russia to a greater or lesser extent.
The Russian paramilitary group Wagner is mainly established in Mali, with which Moscow signed a cooperation agreement on civil nuclear power in October. A “strengthening of military cooperation” was also established at the beginning of December between Niamey and Moscow.