France justified again on Sunday to keep its ambassador in Niger By refusing to recognize the coup, pointing out that it is making sure to ensure his security in the face of pressure, while the military regime that took power at the end of July is demanding his departure.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said in an interview with Le Monde newspaper, “He is our representative to the legitimate authorities of Niger (…) We do not have to obey the instructions of a minister who has no legitimacy.”
Colonna added: “This explains why our ambassador is kept. We make sure that he can safely face the putschists’ pressure.”
And at the end of August, the military gave the French ambassador, Sylvain Aeteh, 48 hours to leave Niger, which was rejected by Paris, stressing that the new government has no authority to demand a similar order.
Colonna was asked about the fate of the Russian Wagner Group in Africa after the killing of its leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, and she said that the group “just experienced a great shock through the killing of its founders and some of its cadres.”
And she realized: “But it is still too early to know what all the repercussions will be. This group is characterized by complete ineffectiveness in terms of combating terrorism and jihadists, coupled with serious and documented abuses, (but) other attempts to plunder resources and (to do) dirty work for Russia should be expected.” If not her name.
Colonna also confirmed in the interview that Abd al-Rahman Tiani, the leader of the coup, did not act at the behest of the Russian Wagner Group, but Moscow saw in what happened an opportunity to make gains.
On the other hand, the minister stressed that the Ukrainian counterattack is moving in the right direction, saying, “The Ukrainians have always said that they will launch their counterattack over a period of several months, not in a few days or weeks. They themselves say that the operations are difficult.”
“Nevertheless, the Ukrainians are making progress and have broken through in some places. Before making judgments, we have to remember that they are the ones doing the fighting and giving their lives,” she added.
And the Ukrainian forces achieved an important breakthrough in the Russian defense lines in southern Ukraine, according to what one of its military leaders announced.
France 24/AFP
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2023-09-03 23:40:00