The Nigerian President Mohamed Bazoum, Friday, had asked France to open an investigation of the clashes that took place at the end of November on the road of the military convoy “Barkhane”, and who could have made three dead.
Le Monde with AFP
The French army has already carried out an “internal investigation” on the circumstances in which three people were killed in the transition from one of his convoys to Niger, said the Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly, in response to a request investigation by the Nigerian President.
“There has been an internal investigation, which has shown that in the face of manifestations of great violence, our soldiers have shown the necessary control and have the adequate reaction,” she said. a href=”https://www.lejdd.fr/politique/florence-parly-minister-des-armees-au-jdd-la-france-ne-quitte-pas-la-sahel-4083368″ target = “_ blank “rel =” Noopener “title =” new window “> in an interview at the Sunday Journal (JDD) of December 19
President Mohamed Bazoum has “Required” Friday of the “French authorities” an investigation on the strike at the end of November on the road of the Convoy of the Barkhane force, during which three people were killed according to Niamey.
This convoy of the Ivorian economic capital Abidjan had to join Gao in Mali, as it occurs frequently since the beginning of the French intervention in the Sahel in 2013. He was first blocked and helped in Kaya, in the Center of Burkina Faso, before resuming its route a few days later, and to be interrupted again by angry protesters in Tera, in the west of Niger. Three of them were killed, in shots attributed to the Nigerian forces by some, French by others.
Symbol of hostility towards the armed commitment of France
The Minister of Armies has ensured that the dialogue continued with Niamey on these incidents. “We continue to discuss with the Nigerian authorities to understand what happened before, during and after these clashes,” said Florence Parly. “We have a very high quality dialogue with the Nigerians who, I hope, will help prevent any new event of this type,” she added.
Mohamed Bazoum also announced having “ordered an investigation” by the Nigerian “competent services” to identify the “malfunctions” of the order maintenance device at the origin of the clashes.
This convoy has become a symbol of hostility to the armed commitment of France in the Sahel, which is growing in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, among populations exceeded by jihadist violence become ubiquitous.
The anti-pop-up speech is fed by “political actors in their own interest or external influence”, noted the minister, in an allusion to Russia. “But where our soldiers are present, the population understands that it is forces of protection and reinsurance because it is the first target of terrorists,” she estimated.