Mutinous soldiers in Niger sever French military ties while 'hostage' president pleads for US help

FILE - French Barkhane Air Force mechanics maintain a Mirage 2000 on the Niamey, Niger base, on June 5, 2021. On Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023, night, the junta said on state television it was terminating the military agreements and protocols signed with it's former colonial ruler, France.

Niger’s mutinous soldiers face a Sunday deadline set by the regional bloc known as ECOWAS, whose envoys arrived on Thursday for talks. But those discussions quickly stalled, with the delegation unable to meet the coup leader, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, or go into the capital, Niamey, according to a person with close knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to comment.

France's Foreign Ministry said Paris only recognizes “the legitimate Nigerien authorities,” dismissing the move by coup leaders. France reiterated its call for “the re-establishment of the democratic institutions of Niger,” the ministry said.neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso France has 1,500 military personnel in Niger, which had been envisioned as the base for counterterror operations in the region after anti-French sentiments grew elsewhere.

The ECOWAS delegation was led by former Nigerian head of state Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar. A second group led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe has gone to engage with the leaders of neighboring Libya and Algeria, said Ajuri Ngelale, special adviser to Nigeria's president.“I don’t expect mediation efforts to bear fruit in the short term. The junta is digging in ... Seems like uncharted territory,” said Alex Thurston, assistant professor of political science at the University of Cincinnati.

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