The French government said on Sunday that any attack on French persons or interests in Niger would elicit a strong, instant response from France, as pro-junta rallies erupted outside the French Embassy in Niamey in the aftermath of last week’s military coup.
“The President (Emmanuel Macron) will not tolerate any attack against France and its interests,” Macron’s office said in a statement, adding that attacks against French diplomats, armed forces, or enterprises will be met with retaliation.
Macron has talked with deposed President Mohamed Bazoum and former Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou in the last few hours, according to the statement, and both have condemned the coup and appealed for calm.
On Saturday, France declared the suspension of all development funds to Niger and demanded the return of Bazoum. Former colonial powers France and the United States have used Niger as a base to combat an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa’s Sahel area.
