BansheeOne Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 Yeah, the US seem to have evacuated their embassy in an operation involving a little over 100 troops using three MH-47 and possibly several MV-22 from Djibouti with a refueling stop in Ethiopia. The French seem to have attempted the same, but were interrupted when one of their citizens in a convoy was allegedly hit by a sniper bullet fired by the Rapid Support Forces; the latter stated they had to direct the convoy back to the embassy after an air attack. Meanwhile Swedish parliament has authorized deployment of up to 400 troops, though expectations are for more like 150. Anyway, it's getting rather crowded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WRW Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Years back I had to be initial planning to get our staff out of Khartoum and elsewhere by Road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Zeitgeist Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Per various European governments, it's on now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futon Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 On 4/21/2023 at 11:03 PM, futon said: Japan dispatched a C-130 to Djibouti. While in the region, still 1200km away from Khartoum. A C-2 and a KC-767 are being ready for standby. About 60 Japanese nationals in the country and for evacuations. B1's article mentions 150 from Germany wanting to flee. Evacuations can be difficult considering the Afghanistan example. One report says one American has died from the fighting. Apparantly reportedly an estimated 19,000 Americans in Sudan, of which how many are to be evacuees, most I assume. The C-2 and KC-767 have also departed and have arrived at Djboutu, now together with the earlier sent C-130. The three aircraft now waiting for a plan to be made. http://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20230423/amp/k10014046461000.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BansheeOne Posted April 23, 2023 Author Share Posted April 23, 2023 (edited) First German A400M on the ground at Wadi Sayyidna Air Base north of Khartoum. The Brits reportedly evacuated their embassy via the same place last night, but apparently forgot to notify the locals, and reportedly were temporarily detained by Sudanese government forces. After the French experience, the plan currently seems to be having evacuees come to the airfield rather than going out into the city to fetch them. Edited April 23, 2023 by BansheeOne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
futon Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 An ROK C-130 arrived at the US base in Djibouti. They sent a navy ship to the Red Sea as a possible option to pick up the confirmed 28 evacuees who are currently at the airport in case leaving by air is not possible. KSA is reported to be the first to pickup their and 12 other countries (mostly other ME countries) evacuees by air from the airport. https://m.koreatimes.co.kr/pages/article.asp?newsIdx=349593 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunday Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 Could be a joke, could be another notch on Nuland's phone case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DB Posted April 24, 2023 Share Posted April 24, 2023 On 4/23/2023 at 2:07 AM, futon said: To fill in ROK's number of people: There are about 1500 Europeans in Sudan, including 300 Greeks (the largest community), 150 French, and about 60 Spaniards. But the largest community remains American, with nearly 19.000 people. There are also several hundred Britons, 60 Japanese, [29] Koreans, etc. https://m.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230422000098 Reportedly about 4000 British citizens in the country. I imagine they're largely dual nationality or have local relatives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Der Zeitgeist Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 "The Germans are running the airfield" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BansheeOne Posted July 27, 2023 Author Share Posted July 27, 2023 Quote Niger soldiers declare coup on national TV By Laurence Peter BBC News 27 July 2023 Updated 4 hours ago Soldiers in the West African country of Niger have announced a coup on national TV. They said they had dissolved the constitution, suspended all institutions and closed the nation's borders. Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has been held by troops from the presidential guard since early on Wednesday. He was promised Washington's "unwavering support" in a call from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. UN Secretary General António Guterres also said he had spoken to the president and offered the UN's full support to the uranium-rich country. Mr Bazoum is a key Western ally in the fight against Islamist militancy in West Africa. Two neighbouring countries, Mali and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups triggered by jihadist uprisings in recent years. In both countries the new military leaders have fallen out with France, the former colonial power, which also formerly ruled Niger - a vast, arid country on the edge of the Sahara desert and one of the poorest nations in the world. Mr Bazoum's whereabouts are unclear but in a statement on Twitter on Thursday morning he said the "hard-won gains will be safeguarded" and that Nigeriens who love democracy will see to it. Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou has declared himself the head of state and called on all democrats to "make this adventure fail". [...] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66320895 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BansheeOne Posted August 1, 2023 Author Share Posted August 1, 2023 Quote Niger coup: Burkina Faso, Mali warn against intervention 14 hours ago Following the coup in Niger, neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, both run by military juntas, have issued a stern warning to ECOWAS against using force to reinstate President Mohamed Bazoum. Burkina Faso and Mali on Monday threw their support behind the newly installed junta in Niger and warned against any military intervention in the country's affairs. Guards chief General Abdourahamane Tiani deposed the government of President Mohamed Bazoum late last week. The coup has drawn widespread international condemnation, with the West African bloc ECOWAS giving him a week to hand back power to Bazoum. What did Burkina Faso and Mali say about the situation in Niger? "Any military intervention against Niger would be tantamount to a declaration of war against Burkina Faso and Mali," the two countries said in a joint statement on Monday. They said the "disastrous consequences of a military intervention in Niger... could destabilize the entire region." The two governments also "refuse to apply" the "illegal, illegitimate and inhumane sanctions against the people and authorities of Niger," the statement said. The statement comes after leaders of ECOWAS threatened to use "force" to reinstate Bazoum and imposed sanctions on Niger's government. In a separate statement, Guinea expressed its "disagreement with the sanctions recommended by ECOWAS, including military intervention," urging the bloc "reconsider its position." The governments of Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea are also the result of recent military coups. [...] https://www.dw.com/en/burkina-faso-mali-warn-against-military-intervention-in-niger/a-66402134 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BansheeOne Posted August 26, 2023 Author Share Posted August 26, 2023 Quote Niger junta gives French envoy 48 hours to leave 8 hours ago France has sharply criticized the power grab in Niger and has repeatedly called for the democratically elected president to be reinstated. Niger's military rulers on Friday ordered the French ambassador to leave the country in the next 48 hours, but said a letter calling for a similar order for the US ambassador was fake. A US State Department spokesperson said "no such request has been made to the US government," Reuters news agency reported. The spokersperson added that Niger's Foreign Ministry told the US government that a widely-circulated letter online, calling for the US ambassador to be expelled, was not released by it. Reports earlier stated that Niger's coup leaders had also asked the ambassadors of Germany and Nigeria to leave the country in the next 48 hours. The AFP news agency reported that these reports were declared "unauthentic by authorities." What the military junta said on France The junta said the French ambassador had refused an invitation to meet with Niger's junta-appointed foreign minister on Friday. The Foreign Ministry said the actions of the French government were "contrary to the interests of Niger." But France said Niger's "putschists have no authority" to expel its ambassador in Niamey. "The putschists do not have the authority to make this request, the ambassador's approval coming solely from the legitimate elected Nigerien authorities," Paris said, adding: "We are constantly evaluating the security and operating conditions of our embassy." [...] https://www.dw.com/en/niger-junta-gives-french-envoy-48-hours-to-leave/a-66636187 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted August 29, 2023 Share Posted August 29, 2023 (edited) So, Niger is getting interesting: - Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum (who was elected two years ago in the first peaceful, "democratic transfer of power" since independence in 1960) was removed from office on July 26 by his own presidential guard (the third coup in as many years in the Sahel region) - The coup leaders said: "… have decided to put an end to the regime you are familiar with … This follows the continuous deterioration of the security situation, the bad social and economic management.” - Army issues a statement backing coup leaders - General Tchiani, commander of the presidential guards, appointed himself head of the country’s new military government - hundreds of supporters of the coup ransacked and set fire to the headquarters of the governing party in Niamey (capital of Niger) - EU cut off financial support to Niger and France (former colonial power and the power broker/meddler) suspended all development aid and budget support (€120 mln in 2022) with immediate effect, demanding a prompt return to constitutional order with Bazoum back in charge - ECOWAS (15-nation Economic Community of West African States ) demanded that Bazoum be reinstated otherwise, the “all measures” to restore constitutional order will be taken; the bloc slapped financial sanctions on the coup leaders and the country, freezing “all commercial and financial transactions” between member states and Niger, one of the world’s poorest nations - Military government announced the revocation of five military cooperation agreements with France. Niger also suspended broadcasts of French state-funded international news outlets France 24 and RFI - ECOWAS military chiefs agreed to a plan for a possible military intervention to respond to the crisis, with the armies of countries including Senegal and Ivory Coast saying they were ready to participate - US SecState Blinken: "... US is pausing certain foreign assistance programmes benefitting the government of Niger”. - Tens of thousands of coup supporters, many of whom carried Russian flags, gathered at a stadium in Niamey for a rally as the deadline set by ECOWAS to return Bazoum to power expired; MilGov closed the country’s airspace. - US DepSecState Nuland said she held “frank and difficult” talks with military leader Barmou and three of his colonels in Niamey. She said requests to meet with Bazoum and Tchiani were denied. - ECOWAS agreed on a “D-day” for possible military intervention - 11 of the bloc’s 15 member states agreed to commit troops to the operation. - ECOWAS held talks with Tchiani (military government leader) and met with Bazoum; Tchiani proposed a three-year transition of power. - Burkina Faso and Mali have pledged their support to the coup leaders and offered military assistance should Niger be attacked. - Niger’s MilGov gave the French Ambassador Sylvain 48 hours to leave the country, accusing him of refusing to respond to an invitation to meet Niger's FM. - France rejected the move, saying the military administration does not have the authority; - Food, Water, Power To French Embassy is cut off - Macron: "France is ready to support ECOWAS military action in Niger" France has about 1,500 troops in Niger "helping local forces fight Islamic extremists" USA has two military drone bases in Niger. About 1,100 U.S. troops are currently deployed to Niger Edited August 29, 2023 by Strannik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanoid Posted August 30, 2023 Share Posted August 30, 2023 Quote Gabon military officers declare coup after Ali Bongo wins disputed election A group of senior Gabonese military officers have appeared on national television declaring they have seized power, claiming the recent general election lacks credibility and saying they represent all Gabon’s security and defence forces. They said the election results were cancelled, all borders closed until further notice and state institutions dissolved. Loud sounds of gunfire could be heard in the capital, Libreville, a Reuters reporter said, after the television appearance. It was not immediately possible to reach the government for comment. “In the name of the Gabonese people ... we have decided to defend the peace by putting an end to the current regime,” the officers said on television. Gabon’s incumbent president, Ali Bongo, won a third term in the presidential election with 64.27% of the vote, the Gabonese election centre said on Wednesday, after a delay-plagued general election that the opposition denounced as fraudulent. Announcing the result in the early hours, the elections head, Michel Stephane Bonda, said Bongo’s main challenger, Albert Ondo Ossa, came second with 30.77%. Bongo’s team rejected Ondo Ossa’s allegations of electoral irregularities. Tensions were running high amid fears of unrest after Saturday’s presidential, parliamentary and legislative vote, which saw Bongo seeking to extend his family’s 56-year grip on power while the opposition pushed for change in the oil and cocoa-rich but poverty-stricken nation. A lack of international observers, the suspension of some foreign broadcasts, and the authorities’ decision to cut internet service and impose a night-time curfew nationwide after the poll had raised concerns about the transparency of the electoral process. As one officer read the joint statement on television, around a dozen others stood silently behind him in military fatigues and berets. The group have declared themselves members of the “committee of transition and the restoration of institutions”. The state institutions they declared dissolved included the government, the senate, the national assembly, the constitutional court and the election body. If successful, the coup would represent the eighth in west and central Africa since 2020. Coups in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Chad and Niger have all undermined democratic progress. In July, the military snatched power in Niger, sending shockwaves across the Sahel and sucking in global powers with strategic interests at stake. Bongo, 64, who succeeded his father Omar as president in 2009, had 18 challengers, six of whom backed Ondo Ossa in an effort to narrow the race. In 2016, the parliament building was torched when violent street protests erupted against Bongo’s contested re-election for his second term. The government shut down internet access for several days at the time. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/30/gabon-coup-military-takeover-gabonese-election-disputed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted August 30, 2023 Share Posted August 30, 2023 Funny, but true Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted September 2, 2023 Share Posted September 2, 2023 So Frenchies are preparing for a confrontation:" If our facilities in Niger are attacked, we are ready to respond." - The General Staff of the French Armed Forces. Btw Algeria declined their request for the air space corridor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 (edited) Just one reason why Niger's "democracy" is so dear to France: Niger is increasing it's price of uranium from 4000 Fr (€0.80cent) for 1 kg to 137,000 Fr €200 (Canadaian price) "For decades, France has used corrupt and sometimes even illegal practices to secure cheap access to Nigerien uranium for its nuclear power industry, leaving Niger unable to profit from its exports.” https://www.foreignaffairs.com/west-africa/nigers-coup-and-americas-choice Edited September 3, 2023 by Strannik Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted September 3, 2023 Share Posted September 3, 2023 Deadline (today) approaches for French forces to leave Niger as tens of thousands protest by the military base. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted September 5, 2023 Share Posted September 5, 2023 Following four days of protests by thousands of Nigeriens against the French troops and ambassador France began negotiating a withdrawal with the Nigerien military govt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strannik Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 France reneges on withdrawing its troops from Niger, also is deploying troops around west Africa preparing for military intervention it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivanhoe Posted September 12, 2023 Share Posted September 12, 2023 Make Niger French Again? Being of the North American ilk, I would kinda prefer France retake Haiti rather than Niger. Sadly, that mess isn't going to sort itself. I know a Haitian immigrant who is butt-hurt because the DR doesn't want Haitians visiting the DR. Given the situation, I don't blame the Dominicans for choosing to err on the side of caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanoid Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 'Franco-globalists' vs 'Metaphysical Leopard People' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunday Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 Seems some Russians still have a bee in their bonnet about Franco... (I shall find the door myself) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lucklucky Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 I think he means France Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunday Posted September 15, 2023 Share Posted September 15, 2023 55 minutes ago, lucklucky said: I think he means France Could not hear you, I fled the room already! 🤓 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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