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THOUSANDS took to the streets of Niger’s capital Niamey on Saturday to demand the former colonial ruler France remove its troops from the country.
Paris has ignored the demand by the new government, which took over after a military coup in the West African country in July.
It claims that the new Nigerien administration does not have the legitimacy to demand the removal of its 1,500 troops.
Protesters gathered near a French military base holding up anti-French banners. This followed a fresh verbal broadside by the Nigerien government on Friday accusing Paris of blatant interference by backing forces trying to return the country’s ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to power.
Mr Bazoum, a long-time ally of the French, has been held in detention since being removed from power.
Last week the junta revoked the diplomatic immunity of France’s ambassador and ordered police to expel him: French President Emmanuel Macron said the envoy would remain in his post.
France’s military personnel in Niger trained and conducted joint operations with Nigerien security forces in a long-running conflict with a jihadist insurgency linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. Operations have ceased since the coup and jihadist attacks have been reported to be increasing.
