The ongoing saga between Niger and France seems to have no end, as yet another episode of their standoff has occurred. The French Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday, June 12th, that a French official had been detained in Niger and urged the junta to free him immediately.
Stephane Jullien, counselor for French nationals abroad – a non-diplomatic, elected job – was arrested last Friday, according to the ministry’s account and his “immediate release” is demanded. Julien, according to the Ministry, is an adviser to French people in Niger, and he was apprehended on September 8 by Niger security personnel. “From day one, our embassy has worked to ensure consular protection for our compatriots,” the statement added.
Recall that French-Niger relations have been strained since military officers deposed elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July and then ordered French officials to leave the country in August—an order that France has refused to obey, claiming that Niger’s junta is not the country’s legitimate authority. In an address to ambassadors in August, Macron downplayed fears that defying the junta would be harmful. The detention of a French official is bound to exacerbate tensions between France and Niger.
The French administration, backed by President Emmanuel Macron, is now pressing for Stephane Jullien’s immediate release. The circumstances surrounding Jullien’s arrest remain unknown, with the Foreign Ministry providing no information on the location or manner of his detention. Nonetheless, France has said that they are keeping a close eye on the issue and has promised to do everything in its ability to assure Jullien’s safety and the protection of his rights while he is detained.
The military of Niger has accused France of amassing personnel and weapons in multiple West African nations in preparation for a “military intervention” against Niamey. Colonel Amadou Abdramane, a spokesman for Niger’s coup leaders, made the assertion late Saturday on national television. He stated that France was still deploying military forces in ECOWAS member countries as “part of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is planning in collaboration with this community organization.” According to him, “large quantities of war material and equipment have been unloaded in Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Benin, to name a few.”
Meanwhile, in Niamey, hundreds of protesters have been organizing near-daily protests to demand the evacuation of French soldiers stationed at a military installation. France has approximately 1,500 troops in the nation as part of a larger campaign against al-Qaeda and ISIL (ISIS) affiliated forces. In the midst of the tensions, AFP reported on Tuesday that Paris was in talks with the military about withdrawing “elements” of its mission in Niger. It quoted a source in the French defence ministry.