"We were trained in French universities, our officers were trained in France. We just want to be respected," Zeine said in an interview with an American media outlet, commenting on the coup leaders' order that 1,500 French troops depart from Niger by early September.
At the same time, Zeine said that "the moment will come to review" Niger's military partnership with the United States, which has 1,100 troops and drone bases in the country. Zeine also welcomed the "extremely reasonable position" of Washington, which has called for diplomatic means to resolve the situation in Niger rather than military actions.
Zeine also said that the coup leaders had no intention of harming ousted Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum.
"Nothing will happen to him, because we don't have a tradition of violence in Niger," Zeine said.
On August 7, acting US Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland traveled to Niger and met with several coup leaders. Nuland later specified that she met the rebels' leader, Moussa Salaou Barmou, and three of his colonels in Niger’s capital, Niamey. She described the talks with them as "frank and difficult."
Earlier this week, Washington also appointed a new ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, who will arrive in Niamey "to lead the mission during a critical time to support the American community and to coordinate on the US government's efforts," State Department deputy spokesman Vedant Patel said.
Last week, an American media reported that the Nigerien rebels had told Nuland that they would kill Bazoum if Niger's neighbors intervene in the country. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken later responded that the US had made it clear to the rebel military leaders in Niger that they would be held accountable if anything happened to the president.
The US media reported earlier on Friday, citing French and US officials, that the US-France alliance is experiencing growing tension against the background of Washington's attempts to diplomatically engage coup leaders in Niger as Paris is opposed to Washington's approach, citing the empowerment of the junta as the reason.
A coup took place in Niger on July 26. Nigerien President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and detained by his own guard, led by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani. Following the coup, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) suspended all financial aid to Niger, froze rebels' assets and imposed a ban on commercial flights to and from the country.
In early August, during a summit in the Nigerian capital of Abuja, ECOWAS leaders agreed to activate a standby force to potentially compel the Nigerien military to reinstate Bazoum.