AES calls for simultaneous mobilisation to condemn EU resolution on Niger's ex-president

Civil society organisations in Niger have condemned a European Union resolution demanding the release of the country’s former president.

Mohamed Bazoum has been detained since the 2023 coup that removed him from power. At a meeting in Niamey on Saturday, NGOs issued a joint statement accusing France of putting pressure on Brussels.

“Let’s say it clearly: behind this resolution is the hand of France, refusing to accept its historic defeat in the Sahel," Abdourahamane Oumarou, spokesperson for the Alliance of Sahel States Citizen Watch said as he addressed the crowd.

"Through its influence networks and contacts within European institutions, France is using the European Parliament to try to reclaim politically what it has lost on the ground. Militarily expelled, politically rejected, discredited among our peoples, it now seeks to return through diplomatic pressure and institutional manipulation. But the peoples of the Sahel are no longer fooled.”

The organisations also denounced the presence of international partners in the region, saying they’ve done nothing to stabilise the situation, and produced no results. Instead, Oumarou said, the Sahel states are embarking on a new path:

“For several decades, our region has faced deep struggles: persistent insecurity, marginalisation of state institutions, economic pressure, and repeated external interventions.

"In the face of these challenges, Sahelian populations have often deplored the insufficiency—or even absence—of certain international partners. Today, as our states engage in a rapid process of reconciliation and reclaiming their sovereignty, it is unacceptable for external institutions to pretend to dictate our choices. The sovereignty of the countries of the Sahel States Confederation cannot be called into question.”

The call for mobilisation was launched simultaneously in Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali, calling for large demonstrations on Tuesday to say “No” to the European Union.