France rightly takes a strong stance in Niger
Tom Rogan
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French President Emmanuel Macron is rightly defending Niger’s democratic government.
That West African government was removed from power by a military junta in late July. The junta subsequently ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country. France, however, has refused to accept that illegal order. It argues, correctly, that only the recognized democratic government has the authority to order an ambassador persona non grata. In this case, that means deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
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Niger’s junta is now upping the pressure. Macron announced on Friday that Itte is being denied access to food supplies and freedom of movement. The ambassador is surviving on military rations. Yet, when asked whether he intended to evacuate Itte, Macron offered a robust response, “I will do whatever we agree on with President Bazoum because he is the legitimate authority, and I speak with him every day.”
This is the appropriate stance, but it’s a course of action with political risks for Macron. By refusing the junta’s demands, Macron risks the safety of his ambassador and other French citizens at the embassy. But he recognizes that more is at stake here than those citizens. French influence in West Africa is waning but still significant. In turn, France cannot set the precedent that coups against democratic governments will lead Paris to abandon those governments. The 2022 evacuation of its forces from Mali after a failed eight-year counterterrorism campaign degraded France’s credibility in the region. Another forced departure would risk imposing a hammer blow on Paris’s standing.
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Macron is banking on the righteousness of his stance and France’s military capacity as being sufficient to keep Itte safe. Macron knows that the junta knows that any use of force against Itte would risk an international military intervention to remove it from power. It obviously does not want that to happen.
Regardless, France deserves credit for taking this courageous stance in support of democracy.