AA / Paris / Ümit Dönmez
The Chargé d’Affaires of the permanent mission of the UN (United Nations) in Niger reported a “violation of international law against Niger”, committed by the French Government and ECOWAS (Economic Community of States of the ‘West Africa).
In the preamble to a letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council on August 28, and revealed by researcher Julien Antouly, the interim Chargé d’affaires of the Niger mission to the UN, Idrissa Aboubacar Daddo notes “that since the change of regime that took place on July 26, 2023, the Republic of Niger has faced sanctions from regional and sub-regional organizations, some of which are contrary to the law of said international organizations, general international law and the Charter of the United Nations, measures which are not without consequences on the lives of the Nigerien populations. The Republic of Niger is also the subject of serious acts which are likely to undermine international peace and security by the Republic French.
– ECOWAS violations
As clarified by researcher Julien Antouly, the UN Chargé d’Affaires, denounces the sanctions adopted by ECOWAS, some of which exceed the measures provided for by the organization’s texts, in particular the closure of borders and the suspension of transactions. commercial, which are taken in violation of the texts of ECOWAS.
In his letter, Aboubacar Daddo also denounces the threats of intervention by ECOWAS, which constitute a “violation of the ban on the use of force”, due to non-compliance with the procedural rules of the Lomé Protocol as well as the lack of authorization from the United Nations Security Council.
– Violations of France
The Mission also denounces a series of “serious acts which are likely to undermine international peace and security by the French Republic.”
Among these violations committed by France, there is notably “the search for ways and means to intervene militarily in Niger”, in coordination with “the former Nigerien authorities”, as well as the refusal to recognize the decision of the Nigerien authorities to recall the Ambassador of Niger in Paris, but also the French refusal to recognize the denunciation of “cooperation agreements and technical arrangements in the fields of defense and security”, i.e. its refusal to repatriate the 1,500 French soldiers present on Nigerien territory .
The Chargé d’Affaires of the UN permanent mission in Niger also denounced the “behavior of French forces on Nigerien territory and of their terrorist accomplices.”
“Indeed, on August 9, 2023, around 6:30 a.m., the detachment of the Niger National Guard (GNN) of Bourkou-Bourkou (30 km from the Samira gold site) was the subject of an attack. Through direct communication with Western partners, the behavior of French forces was criticized for having unilaterally released captured terrorist elements. The latter were regrouped in a valley in the village of Fitili (28 km northwest of Yatakala) where a planning meeting was held with the aim of attacking these military positions in the three (3) border area. The leaders of terrorist elements, sixteen (16) in number, were apprehended in three (3) operations including two (2) in Nigerien territory and one (1) in Malian territory”, we can read in the letter addressed to the United Nations Security Council.
Through his letter, the Chargé d’Affaires also denounces “the repeated and continuous violation of Nigerien airspace” by the French air forces.
As a reminder, following the takeover of power by the military in Niger on July 26, the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itté, was ordered by the military in power to leave Niger within 48 hours. An ultimatum, launched on August 27, to which France refused to comply, urging its representative not to leave Nigerien soil and categorically rejecting the demands of a power that it considers illegitimate to base such a request.
The Nigerien authorities are also demanding the departure of 1,500 French soldiers from Nigerien territory, another demand to which Paris refuses to comply.
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