The threat of military intervention in Niger is becoming clearer. The ultimatum set by ECOWAS expires this Sunday, August 6. A situation closely followed by the Nigerien community in France. Saturday, they were 200 gathered in front of the embassy of Niger in Paris, at the call of the party of Mohamed Bazoum. They expressed their concern and that of their relatives on the spot, in the face of the military threat and for the future of the country. In Côte d’Ivoire, Niger nationals are also concerned.
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6,000 kilometers from Niger, Zeinabou follows the situation in his country of origin hour by hour. She did not hesitate to brave the Parisian rain to demonstrate and say no to coup in niger. ” I am here to defend my president who was elected by the people. Niger is not for the military, it’s for us! We are here today for peace “, she entrusted to the microphone of Baptiste Coulon.
Ditto for Boubacar. On his t-shirt is the slogan: ” Stop the coup attempt, Yes for the return to constitutional order. “He is not reassured:” At the rate things are going, I’m afraid the military won’t back down. »
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Her parents are in Niger, where prices are rising, where withdrawing money is more difficult, and where fear of conflict weighs on daily life. ” They are afraid. Fear for the country, that there are several opposing camps. My parents are democrats, they fear for democracy “, confesses Boubacar, who shares this fear:” I think of myself, of my children. At any time, these soldiers, for any reason, can intervene. We don’t need that. Africa must move forward, Niger must move forward. If every time there are coups that disrupt democracies, we will not move forward. »
In case of conflict, everyone is betting here that the Nigerien community will stand together to overcome the ordeal. Present in Paris during the demonstration, the Prime Minister of Niger, Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, confided that he ” always hope negotiation will prevail “before the end of the ECOWAS ultimatum on Sunday” and that there will not necessarily be a military intervention “.
Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou, Prime Minister of Niger, speaks during a demonstration in Paris
” Save the people of Niger through diplomacy »
In Ivory Coast, the Nigerien community is also closely following the situation in Niger and the ongoing negotiations at the regional level. At least 750,000 Nigeriens live in Côte d’Ivoire, including 100,000 in Abidjan. And the divisions that currently affect the population of Niger are found in the Ivorian capital, reports Francois Hume-Ferkatadjiwho met with community members in the Haoussa Bougou neighborhood of Koumassi commune, Abidjan.
The prayer barely over, Nigeriens from Tahoua grab their phones to scroll through the latest news on the situation in their country. In Koumassi, there are many supporters of Mohamed Bazoum.
” Niger is a rule of law. We are in a democracy. President Bazoum won the elections in 2021. I don’t see why the putschists come with their weapons to threaten democracy in Niger! All Nigeriens are against and support ECOWAS to intervene and restore constitutional order “explains one of them. ” We don’t consider them generals! We consider them terrorists! We don’t want terrorists in Niger! exclaims another.
According to supporters of military intervention, ECOWAS must act and ” play his credibility “. Aboubakar Idy, he still wants to believe in the diplomatic way: “ Niger does not need war. Please, ECOWAS, let’s save the people of Niger through diplomacy. »
And when a middle-aged man comes to proclaim his support for the military in power, the tone rises in this small alley lined with craftsmen.
Supporters of Mohamed Bazoum and members of the PNDS, the former ruling party, wanted to organize a rally on Sunday in the town of Adjamé. They indicate that they have been refused by the Ivorian authorities.
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Afelane Alfarouk, civil servant in Niamey: “A military intervention will not be good for anyone”