Niger / The Sahel under tension: disturbing revelations of alleged French involvement in Niger’s chaos
Militants of The Movement for the Salvation of Azawad listen to instructions at a waypoint while patrolling along the Mali-Niger border in the deserted area in the Menaka region in Mali during an anti jihadist patrol on February 5, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / Souleymane AG ANARA
According to concordant reports, terrorist groups are currently operating in the Sahel under the instructions of the French secret services, in order to support French interests, which have been disrupted in Niger following the overthrow of President Mohamed Bazoum.
Terrorists affiliated to Daech and al-Qaeda have attacked Malian troops heading for the Niger border to hinder their assistance to the Nigeriens. This comes as France prepares for foreign military intervention, despite serious warnings from Algeria, which calls for a resolution of the internal Nigerien crisis without outside interference.
These armed Islamist groups are also said to have been ordered to step up their terrorist attacks to make it appear that a withdrawal of French troops from the region would lead to an upsurge in violent extremism, thus threatening the Sahelian populations. Coordination between the French DGSE (Directorate General of External Security) and these armed Islamist groups has become obvious since the Quai d’Orsay allowed the France 24 channel to give voice to a terrorist leader receiving instructions from Paris to maintain instability and insecurity in sub-Saharan Africa. This, according to the wife of the former president of Chad, Idriss Déby, who revealed this in a recent interview.
A proxy war is looming in Niger, with the armies of West African countries united within ECOWAS, an entity at the service of France. In the long term, this situation is likely to provoke internal conflicts within ECOWAS, fuelling liberation movements in Africa seeking to rid themselves of the neo-colonialism that has been in place since the apparent independence of the 1960.
The people of Niger and Africa must remain mobilized to defeat France’s diabolical plan. This determination stems from the need to preserve Africa’s sovereignty and independence, which are being jeopardized by foreign interests. Continued mobilization is the key to defending Africa’s interests and aspirations in an ever-changing world.
Audrey TRAORE
