DUBAI: Algeria has refused a French request to fly over its airspace for a military operation in Niger, state radio said late on Monday, after a July 26 coup in the West African nation that lies south of the Algerian border.
Algeria opposes any foreign military action in Niger and favors diplomacy to restore constitutional order, state radio said.
France has about 1,500 troops in Niger that were stationed there before last month’s coup. It is not clear what military operation Algeria was referring to, but France has not said it would intervene militarily to overturn the military takeover.
West Africa’s main regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said last week said it had agreed an undisclosed “D-Day” for a possible military intervention if diplomatic efforts fail — an escalation that could further destabilize a conflict-torn and impoverished region.
On Tuesday, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council said in a communique that Niger had been immediately suspended from all African Union activities.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune voiced Algerian fears about an armed response early this month, saying “a military intervention could ignite the whole Sahel region and Algeria will not use force with its neighbors.”
The North African country worries about repercussions such as an influx of migrants into its territory, a government source familiar with the situation told Reuters.
“We are against the coup but we are against a military action that would worsen the situation in Niger and beyond in the Sahel,” the source who asked not to be named told Reuters.
French authorities did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
France’s military presence in West Africa has become increasingly tenuous amid a wave of coups in the Sahel region since 2020.
Its forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso and anti-French sentiment has grown on the streets of Niger’s capital Niamey since the July 26 coup. Meanwhile, Russian influence in the region has grown.
Algeria has had difficult relations with France — its former colonial ruler — sparring over Sahel security and other regional issues, disputes over their shared history, French media coverage of Algeria and human rights issues.
Algeria refuses French request to fly over its airspace for military operation in Niger
https://arab.news/vzpq3
Algeria refuses French request to fly over its airspace for military operation in Niger
- Algeria opposes any foreign military action in Niger and favors diplomacy
UN rights chief urges Iran to end violent crackdown, warns against death penalty
- Volker Turk: ‘The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop’
- Iranians’ grievances must be heard and addressed, and ‘not instrumentalized by anyone’
NEW YORK: The UN high commissioner for human rights on Tuesday urged Iran to immediately halt violence and repression against peaceful protesters, restore full access to the internet and telecommunications, and ensure accountability for serious human rights violations.
Volker Turk said he is horrified by reports of mounting violence by security forces against demonstrators across Iran, with hundreds reported killed and thousands arrested since protests erupted earlier this month.
“The killing of peaceful demonstrators must stop, and the labeling of protesters as ‘terrorists’ to justify violence against them is unacceptable,” he added.
It is “extremely worrying” to see public statements by Iranian judicial officials indicating the possible use of the death penalty against protesters through expedited judicial proceedings, Turk said.
He added that the protests echo mass demonstrations seen in 2022, with broad segments of the population demanding fundamental changes in governance.
He also criticized authorities for responding with what he described as brutal force to suppress legitimate demands.
“This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue,” he said, adding that all killings, violence against protesters and other alleged abuses must be investigated in line with international human rights standards, and those responsible held to account.
Turk also expressed alarm over reports that hospitals are overwhelmed by casualties, including children, and said nationwide internet and telecommunications shutdowns have hampered verification of events and obstructed independent human rights monitoring.
Iranian authorities imposed a nationwide internet shutdown on Jan. 8, which the UN said has disrupted freedom of expression, access to information, and emergency and lifesaving services. There are also reports that members of Iran’s security forces have been killed during the unrest.
Iranians have the right to demonstrate peacefully, Turk said, adding that their grievances must be heard and addressed, and “not instrumentalized by anyone.”
