NIAMEY Aug. 10. 2023 (Saba) - Niger's military junta declared a state of high alert after a French attack on a National Guard site and breached the country's airspace.
Local media quoted the military council as saying “The French army attacked a position of the armed forces to “liberate its terrorist allies.”
It explained that the French army attacked a position of the National Guard in the Liptako Gorm area and freed 16 imprisoned terrorists.
The military council in Niger, the former colonial power, accused France of violating closed airspace since Sunday, in light of Western and African countries threatening to intervene militarily in Niamey, in response to the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum.
The National Council for the Conservation of the Country, which has been in power since July 26, said that a "military aircraft" used by French forces took off at 6:01 am from N'Djamena in Chad, and deliberately "cut off all contacts with air traffic control when it entered our airspace between 6:39 and 11:00". 15 local time.
This comes at a time when the United States and ECOWAS confirmed that they hope to reach a diplomatic solution in Niger that will put things back in order.
The day after the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to Niger, the military council informed the Economic Community of West African States, "ECOWAS", that it was unable to receive a delegation from it due to security reasons, after mobilizing a force of 25,000 military personnel belonging to "ECOWAS". , in order to hint at possible intervention in Niger.
Niger was subjected to more sanctions on Tuesday, hours after the military council refused to receive the delegation.
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Local media quoted the military council as saying “The French army attacked a position of the armed forces to “liberate its terrorist allies.”
It explained that the French army attacked a position of the National Guard in the Liptako Gorm area and freed 16 imprisoned terrorists.
The military council in Niger, the former colonial power, accused France of violating closed airspace since Sunday, in light of Western and African countries threatening to intervene militarily in Niamey, in response to the dismissal of President Mohamed Bazoum.
The National Council for the Conservation of the Country, which has been in power since July 26, said that a "military aircraft" used by French forces took off at 6:01 am from N'Djamena in Chad, and deliberately "cut off all contacts with air traffic control when it entered our airspace between 6:39 and 11:00". 15 local time.
This comes at a time when the United States and ECOWAS confirmed that they hope to reach a diplomatic solution in Niger that will put things back in order.
The day after the visit of US Deputy Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland to Niger, the military council informed the Economic Community of West African States, "ECOWAS", that it was unable to receive a delegation from it due to security reasons, after mobilizing a force of 25,000 military personnel belonging to "ECOWAS". , in order to hint at possible intervention in Niger.
Niger was subjected to more sanctions on Tuesday, hours after the military council refused to receive the delegation.
H.H
resource : Saba