As western and pro-western interests continue to mount pressure and threaten coupists with invasion Niger Republic, French President Emmanuel Macron has refused a demand from the military rulers to withdraw its troops from Niger after the coup d’etat that strained relations between the two countries.

France insisted that only the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger can order redeployment of her troops in the country.

“If we redeploy, I would do it only at the request of President Bazoum,” Macron said, referring to Niger’s ousted leader, as the G-20 summit wrapped up in New Delhi, India, on Sunday.

“We don’t recognize any legitimacy in the declarations from the putschists”, the French President said.

This came after the ruling junta said France was ignoring its request for the 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger to leave the country by September 3, 2023.

Nigerien and French military officers met earlier this month to discuss a plan for a French troop withdrawal from Niger, a junta Spokesperson said late Saturday.

“As of today, there’s been no progress regarding the implementation of the plan,” Colonel-Major Amadou Abdramane said in a statement on public broadcaster Tele Sahel.

Tensions between Niger and its ex-colonial power have grown since the junta ousted President Mohamed Bazoum in a July 26 coup and severed military ties with France. Macron has said he would back a decision by the Economic Community of West African States to use force to restore democracy — though the regional bloc has backed off the threat and said diplomacy is its priority.

Abdramane also said France was deploying troops in several West African countries as part of preparations for a possible regional military intervention aimed at ousting the junta.

“France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries as part of preparations for an attack on Niger in collaboration with the regional bloc,” Abdramane said.

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