Niger suspends cooperation with international Francophone body
The Nigerien military government has disengaged from multiple foreign partners since the coup in July.
Niger has suspended all cooperation with the International Organisation of Francophone nations (OIF), its military leaders said, as it progressively severs ties with former colonial ruler France.
The 88-member body “has always been used by France as an instrument to defend French interests”, a spokesperson for Niger’s military government said on national television late on Sunday.
Keep reading
list of 4 itemsRussia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 836Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, ...
Ukraine says it struck Su-57 fighter jet on ground at Russian air baseUkraine says it struck Su-57 fighter jet ...
Al Jazeera reporter describes horror inside Gaza hospitalAl Jazeera reporter describes horror ...
The military seized power in a coup in July which was strongly condemned by France and other Western allies. It soon kicked out French troops which had been helping to fight a decade-old armed rebellion in the West African country.
The OIF had already suspended most cooperation with Niger last week because of the coup but said it would maintain those programmes “directly benefiting civilian populations, and those contributing to the restoration of democracy”.
The organisation’s stated mission is to promote the French language, support peace and democracy, and encourage education and development in Francophone countries around the world, many of which are former French colonies.
“The government of Niger calls on the African people to decolonise their minds and promote their own national languages in accordance with the ideas of the founding fathers of Pan-Africanism,” said the government’s statement.
The government said in a separate statement on Sunday that it had not yet decided how long it would hold on to power, but that the length of the transition would be determined after an inclusive national dialogue. It did not say when the dialogue would take place.