Faced with the (increasingly hypothetical) threat of military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to restore constitutional order in Niger, time is the best ally of the coup leaders currently in power in Niger's capital, Niamey – particularly as divisions grow throughout the African continent between hardliners and those advocating dialogue. Differing views also abound among Western countries, and particularly between the Americans and the French.
The two powers were the democratically elected head of state's most loyal allies. However, since the coup d'état on July 26, Washington and Paris have differed in their stance. France demands not only the release of deposed president Mohamed Bazoum, who is being held prisoner by General Abdourahamane Tiani's men, but also his reinstatement to the presidential office from which the army ousted him. The French more openly support the military option advocated by certain African countries, notably Nigeria, which holds the presidency of ECOWAS, and Côte d'Ivoire.
France, which refuses to recognize the decisions of a junta it deems illegitimate, has no intention of withdrawing the 1,500 or so French troops deployed in Niger. Some of these soldiers had previously been stationed in Mali and Burkina Faso, two neighboring countries also ruled by coup officers who no longer accept the presence of the French army on their territories.
United States diplomacy is less focused than Paris on the issue of the current military junta, which uses anti-French rhetoric to curry favor with a segment of public opinion. "France and the United States share the same analysis of the need to contain the spread of jihadist groups in the Sahel. They both condemn military coups and consider that juntas offer no security guarantees," observed Michael Shurkin, program director at 14 North Strategies, a consultancy specializing in Africa. "In Washington, of course, there is no consensus between those who consider the defense of democratic values a priority, and those who consider the use of force unnecessary. But most believe that it is necessary to keep a dialogue open with the junta, as in Mali, even if this means distancing themselves from France," he added.
While Paris considers dealing directly with the junta impossible, Washington dispatched its acting deputy secretary of state, Victoria Nuland, to Niamey on August 7. The diplomat held talks lasting more than two hours with an official representative of the coup leaders, General Moussa Salaou Barmou. This former chief of special forces, trained in the United States, had just been appointed chief of staff of the Nigerien armed forces. The day after the coup, Washington also confirmed the imminent arrival in Niamey of Kathleen Fitzgibbon as ambassador, thus filling an 18-month vacancy in the post.
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