Africa News of Monday, 4 September 2023
Source: www.bbc.com
Pipo for Niger dey protest against di presence of French sojas for dia kontri.
On Saturday, thousands of pipo bin attend one rally outside one military base wia French sojas dey stay.
Di I no go gree pipo want di sojas to leave dia kontri.
More protests dey expected for Niger capital, Niamey on Sunday, against di presence of French sojas for di kontri.
Niger Relationship wit France wey colonize dem don dabaru since dem remove President Mohamed Bazoum, from power for coup for July.
Bazoum be key padi padi of France.
President Emmanuel Macron bin hail Oga Bazoum courage, e say those wey overthrow am break di law.
President Bazoum na di first elected leader to succeed anoda leader for Niger since dia independence for 1960.
Now, di military don suspend di kontri constitution and put Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani as head of state.
Niger na key part of di African region wey dem call Sahel – one big land wey stretch from di Atlantic Ocean go Red Sea. Jihadists dey worry dat area well-well.
France get about one thousand five hundred sojas for Niger to help fight against Islamist insurgency for di Sahel region.
Meanwhile, United Nations dey hala about di humanitarian crisis wey fit happun for Niger afta dia army suspend activities of UN agencies for wetin dem call military operation zones.
Why Niger dey important?
Geographically, Niger na di largest kontri for West Africa.
Politically, dem be example of democratic stability in recent years, while dia neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso don already fall to military coups.
Strategically, di kontri get French and US military bases and dem see dem as key partner for di fight against Islamist insurgents.
In fact, US state department describe Niger as "important as a backbone for stability for Sahel" and "a reliable counter-terrorism partner" against various Islamist groups wey dey linked to either Islamic State or al-Qaeda.
Economically, e dey rich for uranium – na dem dey produce 7% of all global supplies.
But, even wit all dat resources, Niger pipo consistently dey ranked as di kontri wit di lowest standards of living anywhere for di world.
Why di coup happun?
Sahel region dey very rough and unstable, some part of di world and democracy dey currently do retreat dia.
Violent Islamist groups don gain ground dia by controlling territory and conducting attacks for di border region between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso.
Di sojas wey do di coup for Niger don cite bad security situation as di reason for di coup, although Niger bin dey handle di insurgency palava pass Mali and Burkina Faso before dia own coup bin happun.
Di tension dia don make some pipo to believe say na only military fit solve di problem, Dat na why coup dey popular for some places now.
But, e no dey clear weda di military junta go get a beta result to tackle di insurgents palava pass di goment wey comot. Di military takeover for neighbouring kontris neva make much difference.
Who be di main players?
General Abdourahamane Tchiani
General Tchiani, aged 62, na di commander of di Presidential Guards since 2011 and im be close ally of former President Mahamadou Issoufou. E don appoint imself as di leader of Niger new military goment afta di coup.
We no really know anything about Tchiani life, education, or military career, but Niger media don dey mention in name about di 2015 coup attempt against Issoufou.
For 2018, Tchiani appear for court deny di allegations and di court clear am of any involvement.
For one public address for TV on 2 August , Tchiani tok say di military no go bow to di regional pressure to wey wan restore President Bazoum to power.
President Mohamed Bazoum
President Bazoum enta office as Niger leader on 2 April, 2021, afta im succeed Mahamadou Issoufou wey lead di kontri from 2011 to 2021. Bazoum na close ally of Western nations and military depose am on 26 July 2023.
Observers believe say dem hold am inside im house for di kontri capital Niamey. Bazoum administration don partner wit European kontries in a bid to try and stop di flow of migrants across di Mediterranean Sea.
E agree say im go take back hundreds of migrants wey dey detention centres for Libya and crack down on human traffickers for area wey dey between West and North Africa. Wit Bazoum administration out of power, dis one now for don get K-Leg.
Niger military
Niger military don back di removal of President Mohamed Bazoum goment, stating di declining security situation and "poor economic and social governance". Dem don warn against foreign military intervention.
Senior military officers create a junta wey dem call di National Council for di Safeguarding of di Fatherland (CNSP). Di Nigerien Army Chief of Staff Abdou Sidikou Issa tok say di army don declare im allegiance to di defence and security forces wey overthrow Bazoum in order to "avoid a deadly confrontation between di various forces".
M62 movement
Di civil society group begin escalate anti-French protests for di middle of 2022, wen Mr Bazoum goment approve di redeployment of France Barkhane forces to Niger afta dem don order dem make dem comot Mali.
Dem lead calls against poor governance, di rising cost of living and di presence of French forces. Nigerien authorities bin ban or violently suppress planned protests by M62 and dem jail di leader Abdoulaye Seydou of di group for nine months in April 2023 for "disrupting public order".
Di group appear to dey ginger afta dem remove President Bazoum, organising demonstrations for Niger capital Niamey in support of di coup.