'With Such Allies, We Don't Need Enemies': French Diplomat Slams US Position on Niger

French diplomats are not at all happy that Washington is open to negotiations with the new authorities in Niger, a French diplomat has stated, adding that Paris seems to have lost all its allies on this issue.

"With allies like that, we don't need enemies," the diplomat reportedly pointed out.

Paris is reportedly furious that Washington is negotiating with Niger’s new military leaders after President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted from office.

The visit to Niger by Victoria Nuland, number three in American diplomacy, is particularly exasperating the French side.

The Americans "did the exact opposite of what we thought they would do", the Foreign Ministry representative stated.

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A Stumbling Block

Another bone of contention between France and the United States is the possibility of military intervention under the aegis of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

While Paris is pushing hard towards the scenario where ECOWAS resorts to power, Washington initially closed the door on the use of force, wishing above all to preserve its interests in the region.

"There is no acceptable military solution," declared US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in early August.

According to the French diplomat, this was a hard "blow" for Paris as the US wanted to preserve a relatively stable situation in the region.

"It was a blow too far. For Emmanuel Macron, France's credibility, particularly in terms of its discourse on democracy, was at stake. For the Americans, even if they are also concerned about a rapid return to constitutional order, the priority is stability in the region," explained the French diplomat to the French press agency.

Nevertheless, on August 10, Washington declared its "full" support for ECOWAS's decision to intervene militarily in the country.

American Interests

For the Americans, the main issue at stake in Niger is the preservation of their military bases in Niamey and Agadez, as the French reporters outlined.

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In all, some 1,300 American troops are stationed throughout the country, a key American pivot in the Sahel-Saharan region. In particular, the Agadez airfield is used to launch American drones and deploy their surveillance network as far afield as Libya.

"The Americans' objective is simple: to keep their bases. If this means drawing a line under the return to constitutional legality, they won't hesitate," said the French diplomatic worker to media.

France Abandoned by Everyone

The abandonment of France's interests in the region represents a break in the foreign policy of the US, which until now had always prioritized its relationship with Paris over its interests in the Sahel, Michael Shurkin, associate researcher at the US think tank Atlantic Council, explained to media.

But France really does seem to have become the black sheep in West Africa, he stressed.

"France has become radioactive, its position untenable. In this context, the United States knows what it can salvage, and that it has everything to lose by aligning itself too closely with the French," the defense strategy expert pointed out.

Paris's other traditional allies are also keeping a low profile on the Niger issue.

For the time being, neither Germany, Italy nor Belgium have questioned the demands of the new authorities, particularly when they call for a French military withdrawal from the country.

Berlin in particular needs Niger in order to organize its own withdrawal from Mali, while Rome wants to avoid a new migratory crisis, the press agency outlined.