Niger putschists said Thursday they will end military cooperation deals with France, dealing a major blow to French efforts to combat terrorism in the Sahel region.
Junta representative Amadou Abdramane late on Thursday read on national television a decision to revoke five military deals with France dating between 1977 and 2020, Reuters reported.
France’s foreign affairs ministry on Friday said that the revocation of military pacts by the junta will have no effect on existing military deals as it does not recognize the putschists.
“France recalls that the legal framework for its defense cooperation with Niger is based on agreements concluded with the legitimate Nigerien authorities. These are the only ones that France, like the rest of the international community, recognizes,” the ministry said in a statement.
France has about 1,500 troops in Niger under bilateral agreements between the two countries to fight Islamist terrorism in the Sahel region. The U.S. also has about 1,100 troops in the country and has spent $500 million to train and arm the Nigerien armed forces since 2012.
The announcement comes a little over a week after a military coup ousted the country’s democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, who is currently under detention.
The coup and subsequent revocation of military pacts have dealt a significant setback to the West and in particular to France and the U.S. as both countries consider Niger to be a strategic country and a reliable ally in the fight against terrorism.
Since the coup, tensions between the junta and the French government have steadily risen.
Last week, thousands of people demonstrated in front of the French embassy in Niamey, the capital of Niger, with some reportedly shouting “Long live Putin” and “Down with France.” Earlier this week, putschists accused France of planning strikes to try to free Bazoum. They also accused France of planning a military intervention in the country, an allegation denied by France’s Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna. On Thursday, the broadcast of French media RFI and France24 was suspended in the country.
Last week France and the EU stopped financial support for Niger.
France is currently evacuating people from the country. As of Thursday, 577 French citizens have been evacuated via French military planes along with 50 nationals of other countries, France’s foreign ministry said in a statement.