French, Nigerien ministers meet, discuss security

A French delegation led by Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Minister for the Armed Forces, Sebastien Lecornu, met with Niger President Mohamed Bazoum in Niamey on Friday.

The fight against terrorism, the security situation in the Sahel and food insecurity were among the main topics discussed by the French and Nigerian officials.

"We are here to mark France's commitment alongside the Nigerien authorities and to respond as best we can to the needs that you have expressed to us," Colonna said during a speech after the meeting.

"Whether in terms of development aid, security and the fight against terrorism (…) but also to help Niger to deal with the food insecurity that is increasing in the world," she added.

Several agreements were signed between the two countries that agreed to increase their work to improve the security in the Sahel, where the attacks perpetrated mainly by jihadists and rebel groups, have increased in the last months.

"There is a political, diplomatic and military desire to pursue a high-quality partnership between Niger and the French Republic on the security issues," said Lecornu, who criticized the "ridiculing" against the French Army deployed in Mali, during the last presidential elections in France.

"If the French army was deployed in the framework of the operations that you mentioned and praised earlier, it was because the Malian authorities had obviously asked for this French intervention, and if we are no longer there tomorrow, it is because the new authorities, I can't believe it, no longer want it," he said.

The French military, which spearheaded the Takuba Task Force (European military ask force), announced this month that it officially ended its work in Mali.

The move was tied to France's decision earlier this year to withdraw troops (Barkhane Force) from Mali after nine years helping Malian forces fight violent extremists who had threatened to seize power.

The pullout from Mali has made France reinforce its presence in Niger and other West African nations facing similar threats.

"We have already accepted the principle that a large part of this Barkhane Force be deployed in Niger to enable us to deal with this (security) situation," said Alkassoum Indatou, Niger's Minister of National Defence.

"With the deterioration of the situation in Mali, the Macina zone, the Three Border zone and the Burkina zone are also affected," Indatou said, adding that Niger needed the military cooperation to face the terrorist threat in the region.

It was the two French ministers' first joint visit to the West African country.