Thousands of supporters of Niger's coup leaders gathered on Friday near a French military base on the outskirts of the capital Niamey, AFP reporters saw. Protesters shouted "down with France, down with ECOWAS", a reference to the West African bloc which on Thursday approved deployment of a "standby force to restore constitutional order" in Niger. A hostile rally outside the French embassy on 30 July prompted France to organise voluntary evacuations of its citizens. France has around 1 500 military personnel in Niger, sent to help the country in its eight-year-long struggle against a bloody jihadist insurgency. Many are deployed in the air base near Niamey, a facility that is co-run with Niger's armed forces.

Source: News 24 August 11, 2023 19:36 UTC