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Niger Junta Accuses France of Deploying Troops for Possible Intervention

A national police officer stands guard as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland protest outside the French and Niger airbase in Niamey on September 9, 2023 to demand the departure of the French army from Niger. (Photo by AFP)
A national police officer stands guard as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland protest outside the French and Niger airbase in Niamey on September 9, 2023 to demand the departure of the French army from Niger. (Photo by AFP)
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Niger Junta Accuses France of Deploying Troops for Possible Intervention

A national police officer stands guard as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland protest outside the French and Niger airbase in Niamey on September 9, 2023 to demand the departure of the French army from Niger. (Photo by AFP)
A national police officer stands guard as supporters of Niger's National Council for Safeguard of the Homeland protest outside the French and Niger airbase in Niamey on September 9, 2023 to demand the departure of the French army from Niger. (Photo by AFP)

Niger's junta on Sunday accused France of deploying troops in several West African countries as part of preparations for a possible military intervention together with the regional bloc ECOWAS in Niger.

In a communique read on state television overnight, the junta also repeated its call for the departure of French troops from its territory - a major source of tension between the one-time allies since the July 26 ouster of president Mohamed Bazoum.

The statement appealed to "national and international opinion to witness the consequences of this aggressive, underhanded and contemptuous attitude adopted by France."

Relations between Niger and its former colonizer France have soured since Paris declared the junta illegitimate.

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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
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Israeli Government Orders Public Entities to Stop Advertising in Haaretz Newspaper

A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)
A woman reads the 13 February issue of the Haaretz daily newspaper in Jerusalem (AFP)

The Israeli government has ordered all public entities to stop advertising in the Haaretz newspaper, which is known for its critical coverage of Israel’s actions in the Palestinian territories.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said Sunday that the government had approved his proposal after Haaretz’ publisher called for sanctions against Israel and referred to Palestinian militants as “freedom fighters.”
“We advocate for a free press and freedom of expression, but also the freedom of the government to decide not to fund incitement against the State of Israel,” Karhi wrote on the social platform X.
Noa Landau, the deputy editor of Haaretz, accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “working to silence independent and critical media,” comparing him to autocratic leaders in other countries.
Haaretz regularly publishes investigative journalism and opinion columns critical of Israel’s ongoing half-century occupation of lands the Palestinians want for a future state.
It has also been critical of Israel’s war conduct in Gaza at a time when most local media support the war and largely ignore the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
In a speech in London last month, Haaretz publisher Amos Schocken said Israel has imposed “a cruel apartheid regime” on the Palestinians and was battling “Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls ‘terrorists.’”
He later issued a statement, saying he had reconsidered his remarks.
“For the record, Hamas are not freedom fighters,” he posted on X. “I should have said: using terrorism is illegitimate. I was wrong not to say that.”