Thousands of people gathered in Niger’s capital Niamey on Saturday to demand that former colonial power France withdraw its forces.
The protesters gathered near a base of French soldiers, following a call from several indigenous organizations opposed to the presence of the French military in West African countries.
People held up placards that read “French military leave our country”.
France has about 1,500 soldiers in the country who assisted the ousted pro-Western president Mohamed Bazoum in the fight against jihadists.
On Friday, Niger’s military regime accused Paris of “flagrant intervention” by supporting Bazoum.
Popularly elected President Bazoum was ousted by the military junta in a coup on July 26, prompting the regional cooperation organization Ecowas to threaten to reinstall Bazoum by force.