00:00Civil society organisations in Niger have condemned a European Union resolution
00:05demanding the release of the country's former president.
00:09Mohamed Bazoum has been detained since the 2023 coup that removed him from power.
00:15At a meeting in Niamey on Saturday, NGOs issued a joint statement
00:19accusing France of putting pressure on Brussels.
00:26Let's say it clearly, behind this resolution is the hand of France,
00:31refusing to accept its historic defeat in the Sahel.
00:36Through its influence networks and contacts within European institutions,
00:40France is using the European Parliament to try to reclaim politically what it's lost on the ground.
00:49Militarily expelled, politically rejected, discredited among our peoples,
00:55it now seeks to return through diplomatic pressure and institutional manipulation.
01:04But the peoples of the Sahel are no longer fooled.
01:10The meeting also denounced international actors in the region,
01:14saying they've done nothing to stabilise the situation.
01:18Now, they said, the Sahel states are embarking on a new path.
01:25Today, as our states engage in a rapid process of reconciliation and reclaiming their sovereignty,
01:31it's unacceptable for external institutions to pretend to dictate our choices.
01:40The sovereignty of the countries of the Sahel states' confederation cannot be caught into question.
01:51Simultaneous appeals were launched in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali,
01:56calling for demonstrations on Tuesday to say no to the European Union.
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