France has denied Algerian reports claiming that the Algerian government denied access to its airspace to a French airplane heading to Niger.
“France’s joint defense staff denies making a request to fly over Algerian territory,” a French military source tells Reuters.
Thierry Borcard, the French Army’s Chief of Staff, additionally revealed to Reuters today, that “France did not request the use of Algerian airspace in a military operation in Niger.”
His statement comes as a “clear response” to the attempt of an official Algerian source to “involve the name of the Kingdom of Morocco in the issue of military intervention in Niger,” as the Algerian News Agency said that “Morocco allows the passage of French military aircraft, while Algeria rejected the request.”
The same source, largely considered the spokesperson of the military regime in Algeria, indicated that “France is preparing to launch a military operation in Niger, while the arrangements are completely ready.”
“Algeria, which has always been against the use of force, did not respond to the French request to allow military aircraft to pass through its airspace to attack Niger,” they claimed.
The source explained that “France went to Morocco in order to request the opening of airspace to military aircraft in order to launch a military air attack on Niger,” stating that “this shows that the Kingdom of Morocco is still a colony, and is violating international law in the face of the people of Niger.”
The official French denial of what the Algerian government source said shows the continuation of difficulties in relations between Paris and Algeria, as well as “the Algerian party’s continued failure, through ‘media propaganda’ to distort the image of the Kingdom of Morocco at the international level.”
In Niger, the leaders of the military coup received the African Union’s decision to “withdraw Niamey’s membership from the African Organization,” while the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had previously spoken of an unspecified date for possible military intervention.
Rabat had previously announced its position on the crisis in Niger, through Mohamed Larouchi, ambassador and permanent representative of the Kingdom to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, during a previous meeting of the African Peace and Security Council on the situation in Niger.
The latter affirmed that “Morocco trusts in the wisdom of the people of Niger, and its living forces to preserve its constructive and important regional role.