Protesters wave Nigerien and Russian flags as they gather during a rally in support of Niger's junta in Niamey on July 30, 2023. Thousands of people demonstrated in front of the French embassy in Niamey on Sunday, before being dispersed by tear gas, during a rally in support of the military putschists who overthrew the elected president Mohamed Bazoum in Niger. Before the tear-gas canisters were fired, a few soldiers stood in front of the embassy to calm the demonstrators.
Niger's coup leaders, headed by Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, have warned their countrymen of regional and Western retaliation to restore democracy and reinstate ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to power.
The BBC reported a statement claiming that the West African regional body ECOWAS was planning to approve a "plan of aggression" against Niger. The bloc did not immediately make any comment on the alleged statement other than their condemnation of the coup.
Niger Slowly Aligns with Russia, ECOWAS Says
The coup has prompted concern that Niger could pivot towards Russia after neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali did so through their own coups. Tchiani warned any Western or ECOWAS retaliation would mean opposition to the country's independence.
"We once again reiterate to ECOWAS or any other adventurer our firm determination to defend our fatherland," he said in a televised statement.
About two weeks ago, Nigeria's president and ECOWAS chair Bola Tinubu warned that terrorism and the emerging pattern of coups in West Africa had reached alarming levels and demanded urgent action.
While the African Union and the West and their allies have condemned the Nigerien coup, Russia's Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin reportedly described it a triumph. In a Telegram post, the mercenary boss said the coup was "nothing other than the struggle of the people of Niger with their colonizers." He was recently reported to recover in Belarus with his men from the war in Ukraine and their own unsuccessful coup and has since told his fighters to prepare to set off on a "new journey" to Africa.
However, Prigozhin's comments have not been independently verified.
Read Also: Niger's Military Pledges Allegiance to Coup Plotters After Overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum
Nigeriens Storm French Embassy in Niamey
Meanwhile, hundreds of coup supporters protested outside the French embassy in Niger's capital Niamey over the weekend after the nation stopped its aid to the nation Saturday (July 29) and pulled out its troops in 2022 amid growing hostility from the junta in Mali.
Chants of "Long live Russia," "Long live Putin," and "Down with France" were heard during the protest, French news agency AFP reported.
In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would not tolerate any attack on its interests with Niger and would respond in an "immediate and intractable manner."
Related Article: Presidential Guard Chief Declares Himself Leader After Holding President Bazoum Hostage
