PARIS: France has said that it is going to suspend budgetary assistance and development aid to Burkina Faso, French Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. In a statement, the French Foreign Ministry announced to suspend aid for the African country.
The announcement comes days after Mali and Burkina Faso said that they would consider any armed intervention against the Niger junta as a “declaration of war”.
Paris Halts Aid to Burkina Faso
Niger’s new leaders also announced on Sunday that the country had closed its airspace, warning that any attempt to violate it would meet with a ” direct reply.”
In a statement, Niger’s new rulers said, “Confronted with the risk of interference, which is becoming clearer via the homework of neighboring states, the African country’s airspace is closed from Sunday… for all types airplanes until next notice,”.
The West African bloc also issued Niger’s new military leaders with an ultimatum to hand back authority to the elected President Mohamed Bazoum within a week or face possible armed intervention.
Bazoum’s government was toppled on July 26 when his security guards arrested him at the presidency.
Meanwhile, Moscow has warned against military interference in Niger. Mali and Burkina Faso have also issued the same nature of warring and opposed any action in Niger.
Earlier, Algeria’s President Abdelmadjid Tebboune also said that they would oppose any military action in Niger.
French Foreign Ministry had said earlier that it “firmly ” supported efforts by ECOWAS to restore Bazoum.
