Niger military accuses France of deploying forces with view to 'intervention' – Newstrends
Connect with us

International

Niger military accuses France of deploying forces with view to ‘intervention’

Published

1 year ago

on

Niger military accuses France of deploying forces with view to ‘intervention’

Relations with France, Niger’s former colonial power, degraded after Paris stood by ousted president Mohamed Bazoum following the July coup.

“France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) countries as part of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is planning in collaboration with this community organisation,” Niger’s regime spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said on Saturday.

The Sahel state is also embroiled in a standoff with the West African bloc ECOWAS, which has threatened to intervene militarily if diplomatic pressure to return Bazoum to office fails.

In his statement, Abdramane said France had deployed military aircraft, helicopters and 40 armoured vehicles to Cote d’Ivoire and Benin.

“Military cargo aircraft have enabled large quantities of war material and equipment to be unloaded in Senegal, Cote d’Ivoire and Benin, to name but a few,” he added.

Withdrawal of French forces

On August 3, Niger’s coup leaders renounced several military cooperation agreements with France, which has about 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country as part of a wider fight against jihadists.

READ ALSO:

Paris, which refuses to recognise the military regime in Niger, does not consider the soldiers who overthrew the president as party to those cooperation deals.

The military regime meanwhile maintains France’s forces are now “illegally” stationed in Niger.

On Tuesday, a Paris defence ministry source told AFP that the French army was in talks with the military regime over withdrawing “elements” of its presence in Niger, confirming comments made the previous day by the Niger’s regime-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.

Every day for more than a week, thousands of people have gathered in the Nigerien capital Niamey around a military base housing French soldiers to demand their departure.

The United States, which has around 1,100 soldiers in Niger, has begun to relocate its troops “as a precaution” from Niamey to the central city of Agadez, the US Department of Defense said this week.

Tug-of-war

France is engaged in a tug-of-war with Niger, which has also withdrawn the diplomatic immunity of French ambassador Sylvain Itte and ordered police to expel him.

READ ALSO:

France has refused the demand on several occasions, saying the military regime has no legal right to make such an order.

On Monday, however, Zeine said discussions were underway about a “very swift” departure of France’s troops, but that his government hoped “to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared a great deal”.

He also said he was “hopeful” that his country could come to an agreement with ECOWAS after the coup leaders announced a transition period lasting a maximum of three years.

The West African bloc has said it does not want Niger to repeat “the experiences of Mali, Guinea and Burkina”, with which it had to haggle over the durations and conditions of transition periods.

Niger military accuses France of deploying forces with view to ‘intervention’

(AFP)

Related Topics:
Advertisement

International

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

Published

7 hours ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

American man arrested for beating tourist to death at Ireland hotel

A 30 year old American man whose name was not given by security officials, has been arrested for beating up a 60 year old tourist to death at the Ballyfin Demesne hotel in Laois, Ireland.

The Irish police force commonly known as ‘Garda Síochána’ announced that the incident occurred in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12.

Ballyfin Demesne hotel, is a popular luxury five-star hotel located in Laois, Ireland and special guests such as Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, George Clooney e.t.c had made use of the hotel in times past.

The victim was discovered unconscious in the late hours of Tuesday, November 12 and was then rushed to the hospital were he died due to severe beating inflicted on him by the culprit.

READ ALSO:

Independent local councilor James Kelly stated that nearby communities were ‘stunned’ upon learning about the incident at the renowned hotel.

He said, “There would be a lot of staff from the area and they’re totally shocked by what has happened here.

“It’s something we didn’t think we’d be waking up to this morning.”

The police also noted that a senior officer has been assigned to lead the investigation and an incident room has been set up at Portlaoise Garda Station, Ireland.

Furthermore, a family liaison officer will  be designated to assist the family of the deceased.

 

Continue Reading

International

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

Published

16 hours ago

on

November 14, 2024

By

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

The Federal Bureau of Investigation on Wednesday carried out a raid at the home of Shayne Coplan, CEO of cryptocurrency prediction outlet Polymarket.

Authorities seized Mr Coplan’s phone during the raid, according to New York Post which first reported the incident.

Mr Coplan, 26, has been running the famous platform for bets throughout the 2024 presidential election in the United States.

READ ALSO:

It wasn’t immediately clear why the search was conducted, but Polymarket promptly said it might be due to its activities during the election. Users on the platform had correctly predicted Donald Trump was going to defeat Kamala Harris. The company paid out a substantial amount to winners following the election.

“This is obvious political retribution by the outgoing administration against Polymarket for providing a market that correctly called the 2024 presidential election,” a spokesperson for Polymarket said in a statement from its headquarters in New York.  “Polymarket is a fully transparent prediction market that helps everyday people better understand the events that matter most to them, including elections.”

It was unclear whether or not the FBI would be filing charges after the raid.

 

FBI raids home of crypto platform Polymarket CEO, after accurate prediction of Trump win

Continue Reading

International

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Published

1 day ago

on

November 13, 2024

By

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Two employees of Givaudan sense colour, a factory known for making colourings for beverages, located in Louisville, Kentucky, United States (US) were killed in an explosion that took place at the company’s facility.

The factory reported that the incident which took place on Tuesday, November 12 in the afternoon have also destroyed buildings around the company.

READ ALSO:

Louisville Mayor, Craig Greenberg stated that firefighters managed to rescue and evacuate numerous individuals from the site, including some who sustained life-threatening injuries.

He also confirmed that all employees present at the plant during the explosion have been accounted for.

Earlier reports indicated that at least 11 workers were hospitalized.

The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

 

Two dead, buildings destroyed in American factory explosion

Continue Reading

Trending