Thousands of people rallied today in Niamey and Kalam, in southwestern Niger, demanding the immediate withdrawal of French forces from the country, as demanded by the military junta that overthrew elected president Mohamed Bazoum in July.

In the capital, the demonstration was organized near a base where French soldiers are stationed, at the initiative of various organizations opposed to the presence of French forces in the country. “The French army should go home” read the placard held by a protester.

Protesters who arrived at the site in the morning were joined by others in the late afternoon, forming a dense crowd at the “Eskandrig” roundabout where these gatherings usually take place after the July 26 coup.

Another demonstration took place in Kalam, outside a military base, the headquarters of the anti-jihadist operation Almachau, where French and Nigerian soldiers live together. “French soldiers, we have come to bring you the message that we do not need you anymore,” said one protester, addressing the crowd.

About 1,500 French soldiers are stationed in Niger, participating in operations against jihadist organizations in that country, as part of bilateral military agreements. On August 3, the generals who took power in a coup denounced many of these agreements, and at the end of the month Colonel Ibro Amandou, a member of the National Council for the Salvation of the Fatherland, declared that “the struggle will stop the day there is no no more French soldiers in Niger.”