Thousands of people rallied Thursday in Niger's capital in support of the coup that toppled the democratically elected government, as security concerns mounted among Western and African nations.
Demonstrators, some brandishing giant Russian flags, gathered in the heart of Niamey to mark the anniversary of the west African nation's 1960 independence from France.
Crowds shouted "Down with France", "Long live Russia, long live (Vladimir) Putin".
Issiaka Hamadou, one of the protesters, said that it was "only security that interests us", irrespective of whether it came from "Russia, China, Turkey, if they want to help us".
"We just don't want the French, who have been looting us since 1960. They've been there ever since and nothing has changed," he said.
Since elected President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted on 26 July, European citizens have been evacuating from Niger, which has had a key role in French and Western strategies to combat a jihadist insurgency that has plagued the Sahel since 2012.
Urgent national dialogue
Anti-French sentiment in the region has continued to rise, often whipped up by Russia which over the last years has taken an increasingly prominent presence via the Wagner mercenary group.
A French diplomatic source said there was "no evidence that Russia played a role in the coup" in Niger, but that it had an "opportunistic attitude" which meant it could seek to capitalise on events.
Publicly, Russia has called for "urgent national dialogue" in Niger, warning that threats of intervention "will not help ease tensions".
US President Joe Biden is the latest world leader to call for Bazoum's immediate release, urging the "preservation of Niger's hard-earned democracy".
Britain and the United States have announced the pulling back of embassy personnel in Niger as a precaution.
Paris – which said Thursday it had completed its evacuation flights – urged the junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani to "fully guarantee" the safety of embassies in Niamey ahead of Thursday's protests.
Clock ticking
Meanwhile, the clock is ticking down on Sunday's ultimatum from West African regional bloc Ecowas for the coup leaders to restore Bazoum to power within a week or face the possible "last resort" of military intervention.
Nigeria, the current chair of Ecowas, has vowed a firm line against coups that have proliferated across the region since 2020.
An Ecowas team headed by former Nigerian leader Abdulsalami Abubakar, is in Niger for talks.
The body has already imposed trade and financial sanctions, with Nigeria cutting off the electricity supplies that account for some 70 percent of Niger's grid.
In a televised address on Wednesday, coup leader Tchiani rejected the international sanctions imposed and said he "refused to give in to any threat".
Senegal said Thursday it would send soldiers to join Ecowas if it decided to intervene militarily in Niger.
"It is one coup too many," said Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall.
Elsewhere, West African military chiefs were meeting in Nigeria's capital Abuja to discuss the possibility of military intervention if diplomatic negotiations fail.
An official from the Nigerian defence ministry told French news agency AFP those talks were set to end Friday.
As tensions rise across the region, junta-ruled Mali and Burkina Faso have that warned any military intervention in neighbouring Niger would be tantamount to a "declaration of war" against them.
(with AFP)
