‘Not Surprising’: Nigerien Activist on Paris’ Alleged Plan to Intervene in Niger in 2023
Earlier, Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy in Africa revealed that 2,000 French soldiers were urgently deployed to Côte d’Ivoire during the Niger crisis. Although France supported an ECOWAS-led military solution to restore deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, the intervention ultimately did not occur.
France did not want to lose Niger, Maikoul Zodi, President of the Patriotic Front for Sovereignty, told Sputnik Africa, noting that he is not surprised by recent statements from French President Emmanuel Macron’s special envoy.
“They lost Mali, they are losing Burkina Faso, and now Niger. This is really serious for their economic situation, because France is there for economic interests,” he stated.
According to Zodi, the French authorities were trying to push ECOWAS to act in order to destabilize Niger and launch a military intervention.
ECOWAS was unable to organize itself due to the lack of soldiers for the intervention in Niger, Zodi, who is also the coordinator of the Nigerien branch of an international citizens’ movement “Tournons la Page,” said, explaining the reasons why France was unable to intervene after the coup in Niamey and the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum.
He noted that “the Nigerien people were determined and stood their ground” and “the military in power were also determined to defend the integrity of the territory.”
Zodi added that Paris’s objective “is to wage war,” because “they have tried by all means to maintain their hold” on Niger.
