Niger: France had been asked to help free Bazoum

France had been asked in the hours following the coup d'état in Niger on July 26 to lend its support to a possible intervention by the Nigerien army to free President Mohamed Bazoum. About 1,500 French soldiers are stationed in Niger, under defense agreements between the two countries. These agreements were denounced by the soldiers who took power in Niger, but this revocation is not recognized by Paris which considers that they do not represent the legitimate authorities of the country.

In the hours following the coup, "a request was made for support for an intervention by the Nigerien army to free President Bazoum," said a source familiar with the matter. “But the loyalists changed sides and joined the putschists. The conditions were therefore not met to satisfy this request for support, ”said this source, who did not specify the nature of the aid that Paris could potentially have provided.

A few days later, on July 31, the authors of the coup accused France of wanting to "intervene militarily" to restore President Bazoum to his duties. In a statement read on television, they said that "France, with the complicity of certain Nigeriens, held a meeting at the headquarters of the National Guard of Niger, to obtain the necessary political and military authorizations".

Mohamed Bazoum is still retained by the new leaders of Niger. And Western and African countries are increasing the warnings against the deterioration of his conditions of detention and his state of health. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), for its part, is threatening a military operation to restore constitutional order, while favoring a diplomatic solution to the crisis. A delegation of ECOWAS emissaries arrived in Niamey on Saturday to attempt a new mediation, said sources close to ECOWAS and the ousted president.