The Military Junta in Niger Republic has issued France a 30-day ultimatum to vacate the country, following the outing of the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, in a military coup recently.
France and the United States have failed to recognise the military leadership of Niger as they consider it to be ”illegitimate”, even though both countries have military bases in Niger with no fewer than a thousand soldiers from each country.
However, the Niger military junta, in a statement issued by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the order was in accordance with the 1977 “Agreement of Technical Military Cooperation.”
The statement reads, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Niger presents its compliments to the French Embassy in Niamey, and following the words of the highest French authorities, in relation to the situation prevailing in the Niger since July 26, 2023, has the honour to notify it, by decision of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland (CNSP), the denunciation, by the State of Niger, the cooperation agreements and arrangements in the field of defense and security that follow:
1. The Agreement of February 19, 1977 on Technical Military Cooperation, in accordance with its Article 12 and the three-month notice;
2. The Agreement of March 25, 2013 on the legal regime for the intervention of French military personnel in Niger for Security in the Sahel, in accordance with its Point 7 el on one-month notice;
3. The Agreement of July 19, 2013 on the status of French soldiers present in Niger as part of the French intervention for security in the Sahel, in accordance with its Article 13 and one month’s notice;
4. The Technical Agreement of January 2, 2015 relating to parking and activities of the French Joint Detachment on the territory of the Republic of Niger, in accordance with its Article 13 and the 30-day notice;
5. The Additional Protocol of April 28, 2020 to the Agreement of 25 March 2013 on the legal regime for the intervention of French soldiers in Niger for Security in the Sahel, and the Agreement of 19 July 2013 on the status of French soldiers present in Niger in the context of the French intervention for security in the Sahel determining the Statute of Non-French Detachments of the Force Takuba, in accordance with its Article 4 and 90 days’ notice;
6. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Republic of Niger thanks the Embassy of France in Niamey for its good cooperation and takes this opportunity to renew the assurances of its high regard.”
