Army Colonel Amadou Abdramane, one of the coup plotters from Niger’s military junta, made a statement on state television alleging that the deposed government had given authorization to France to carry out strikes at the presidency with the aim of freeing President Mohamed Bazoum.
According to Colonel Abdramane, the authorization was signed by Niger’s foreign minister, Hassoumi Massoudou, who was acting as the prime minister at the time. However, attempts to contact Massoudou for comment on the matter were unsuccessful.
France, Niger’s former colonial ruler, has already condemned the coup and called for President Bazoum to be reinstated as the legitimate leader. However, there has been no indication of France’s intention to intervene militarily.
The military junta, which seized control of the government by forcefully confining President Bazoum within his presidential palace, has previously issued warnings against any foreign attempts to extract him. They cautioned that such actions could lead to bloodshed and exacerbate chaos in the country.