NIAMEY – Niger 's ruling junta and civil society groups called on the nation to mobilize in the capital on Thursday to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference. “We are talking about the immediate departure of all foreign forces,” Mahaman Sanoussi, interim coordinator for the M62 civil society group that’s organizing the protest, told The Associated Press. In a closed door meeting on Wednesday, dozens of people from civil society organizations, professional groups and trade unions spoke with the coup leaders about their vision for the country. But another civil society member at the same gathering who did not want to be named for security reasons told the AP they left feeling concerned. They had a strong impression that the French military was going to be ousted soon and that members of civil society groups would help the junta do it.

Source: The Nation August 03, 2023 13:02 UTC