The Niger’s junta has reportedly cut off water and electricity supply to the French Embassy in the capital Niamey. As per local reports, the military junta has not even allowed food deliveries to the French embassy. A similar action has been taken against the French consulate in Zinder, reports claimed.
🇳🇪🇫🇷 Niger authorities cut off electricity and water to the French embassy in Niamey. It is also reported that the leader of Niger, Abdourahamane Tchiani, ordered to block the supply of not only water and electricity to the French military base but also the delivery of food to… pic.twitter.com/zfWTMBsLmR
— 🅰pocalypsis 🅰pocalypseos 🇷🇺 🇨🇳 🅉 (@apocalypseos) August 27, 2023
Apparently, Elh Issa Hassoumi Boureima is the president of the National Support Committee for the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Country (CNSP). The local reports added that Boureima has asked all partners of French bases in Niger to suspend all water and electricity supplies and food products.
Apart from this, he has reportedly issued a threat that anyone who helps the French by giving them essential food or water supply will be considered enemies of the country.
As per the orders, any partners who continue to help the French in the process of supplying the goods and services will be considered “enemies of the sovereign people”.
An order to this effect has been passed to the Nigelec, the power distributor and water distributor Société d’Exploitation des Eaux du Niger (SEEN). This comes days after the military junta in Niger issued an exit order for the French ambassador.
Evidently, the Niger authorities gave 48 hours to the French ambassador Sylvain Itte to “leave Nigerien territory” which expired on Sunday (27 August). Although France had confirmed that it received such an exit order, the French government said it would not obey the junta’s order and asked its envoy to remain in Niamey. It maintained that Niger Junta had “no authority” to ask its ambassador to leave the country.
Times basically up for France in Niger.
— Benjamin Rubinstein (@BenFRubinstein) August 27, 2023
The people are already peacefully gathered around the French Embassy. The next few hours could be critical.
They French could have evacuated their embassy, maybe they still can, but will the popular military government back down?
Very… pic.twitter.com/OUmHswH8TJ
Earlier, on the 26th of August, the military junta held a rally at the national stadium in Niamey. It was held to mark a month after it ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
The tensions have spiralled in Niger since 26 July when the military in Niger successfully staged a coup and removed President Mohammad Bazoum from power. The military was led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani, who was the former chief of the Presidential Guard and he seized power in the Sahel nation.
Following the ouster, the military junta had also threatened to kill the deposed President Bazoum if foreign countries tried to intervene to restore the earlier govt.
In the wake of this ouster, France carried out an evacuation operation earlier this month to safely take its citizens as well as other nationals from Niamey.
It is pertinent to note that Niger was a former colony of Imperial France. Although it gained independence from France on 11 July 1960, France continued to have control of the resources of Niger through the earlier governments, as claimed by Nigeriens who have seemingly come out in support of coup leaders.
