In Niger on Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters demanded the withdrawal of French troops. They gathered in front of a French military base in the capital Niamey. Some protesters slit the throat of a goat dressed in French colors, others carried coffins covered with the tricolor flag. Banners called for the withdrawal of France. Nigerian soldiers attended the protests.
No outbreak of violence was reported until early evening. Reporters from the Portal news agency spoke of the largest gathering of people since the July 26 coup.
This would indicate that popular support for the military’s seizure of power, as well as contempt for former colonial power France, remain unchanged. The Paris government maintained good relations with deposed president Mohamed Bazoum and stationed around 1,500 troops in Niger. President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday that his country’s decisions on how to proceed would be based on its regular talks with Bazoum. The new military government criticized this statement.