A former French diplomat says the coup in Niger can be traced back to the frustration of people with French interventions and their rejection of the European power’s presence in the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
G\u00e9rard Araud, former ambassador to the United States, the United Nations and Israel, said in a Thursday interview with EURACTIV that the current crisis in Niger is a \u201crejection of the French presence in the country. He said the local populations\u2019 frustration with the \u201cFran\u00e7afrique\u201d legacy, a term used to describe the close and \u201cincestuous\u201d economic and diplomatic ties France holds with former African colonies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Araud said the absence of a concerted African strategy is a \u201cfailure\u201d of Europe. “We are witnessing a revolt of the youth\u201d against both France and their national governments, which are seen to be France\u2019s puppets in the region.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
General Abdourahamane Tiani, the former head of Niger’s presidential guard, ousted president Mohamed Bazoum in a coup d’\u00e9tat on July 26 and announced himself the leader of the Sahel country, days later. The ousted president is being detained by soldiers at the presidential palace in the capital Niame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a Washington Post op-ed published on Thursday, Bazoum warned that the junta\u2019s power grab could have \u201cdevastating consequences for our country, our region, and the entire world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNiger is under attack from a military junta that is trying to overthrow our democracy, and I am just one of hundreds of citizens who have been arbitrarily and illegally imprisoned,\u201d wrote the ousted president who enjoys strong support from Western countries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The coup in Niger, the latest in a series of military takeovers in West Africa, is yet another blow to the French military strategy in the Sahel region. France has been a colonial power in West Africa until 1960. Since independence, France however has maintained trade relations and a military presence in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
France has 1,500 soldiers in Niger. American and European soldiers as also stationed in Niger. According to Araud, closing French army barracks in Niger is long overdue. \u201cHaving military bases signals wanting to meddle in African affairs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cNiger is to France what Afghanistan is to the United States,\u201d the ex-diplomat said, noting that it is high time France treat its African counterparts as sovereign nations. France no longer has any \u201ceminent\u201d role in the region, he stressed. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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