Paris unhappy with Washington’s position on Niger (media)

Washington’s position on Niger and, in particular, the results of the visit of the acting American Under-Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland, to this country, as well as her contacts with the new authorities, aroused discontent in Paris. This is what Le Figaro reported, referring to a French diplomatic source.

“They did the exact opposite of what we thought they would do,” it says. “With allies like that, you don’t need enemies. »

The newspaper recalls that, since the beginning of the coup in Niger, France has maintained a clear line, that is to say, the return of Mohamed Bazoum to the presidency. “For Emmanuel Macron, the credibility of France, particularly in terms of discourse on democracy, was at stake. For the Americans, even if they are also concerned about a rapid return to constitutional order, the priority is is the stability of the region,” the source noted.

While Paris supported the decision of ECOWAS on the mobilization of reserve forces to prepare a military operation against the military in Niger, the United States, notes Le Figaro, through the intermediary of the Secretary of State Antony Blinken, are eager to advocate a peaceful solution in Niger and have gradually ceased to demand the return to power of the ousted president, focusing on the release of Mohamed Bazoum and the conditions of his detention.

American priorities

“The Americans’ objective is simple: to keep their bases,” explains a French diplomat. “If for that it is necessary to draw a line under the return to constitutional legality, they will not hesitate. The Nigerien military will probably not pose a problem elsewhere: they know that without American surveillance capabilities, all their efforts to fight the jihadists are in vain. »

According to the media, the United States has a fairly large contingent in Niger. About 1,300 soldiers are divided between the bases of Niamey and Agadez, in the north of the country. It is the Agadez base that is of strategic importance for the Pentagon, as it houses a landing strip for drones, as well as a surveillance center for the entire region, in particular for Libya.

Moreover, the United States thinks it has “our guy” among the rebels, it is Moussa Salaou Barmou, appointed chief of general staff of the Nigerien armed forces. According to Le Figaro, he was trained in the United States and kept close contact with them, and it was with him that Victoria Nuland spoke in Niamey. However, despite his closeness to Washington, Moussa Salaou Barmou, according to the newspaper, has not yet shown a favorable attitude towards his former instructors.

Paris is also displeased by the fact that, despite the roughly equal number of American and French soldiers, ie 1,500 people, in Niger, resentment in the country is expressed only with regard to French soldiers. “The United States, like our other allies for that matter, has a habit of letting us take the hits,” the source noted. The newspaper believes that the hostile perception of the rebels towards France is due to its colonial past and the failure of Operation Barkhane (from 2014 to 2022), an operation carried out by the armed forces of the Republic to fight against Islamist groups in Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad.

Source: Burkina Information Agency