In the square in central Niamey on Thursday, the anniversary of Niger’s independence from France, the mainly young men who gathered to demonstrate in favour of the military coup against President Mohamed Bazoum brought with them Russian flags and anti-French slogans. One is a lingering deep sense of hostility towards France over its post-colonial record in Francophone Africa, which is being stirred up to justify the coup. However, the coup leaders appear to have misjudged how their putsch would be received regionally and by the international community. “Even before this coup Ecowas was thinking about security arrangements the region needed to change both around the continued danger of radical islamists and more contention from puschists. With the Ecowas ultimatum of restoring Bazoum to power, all options remain on the table for now.

Source: The Guardian August 04, 2023 05:32 UTC