尼日尔政变：为什么有些人希望俄罗斯加入而法国退出
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66365376
作者：Tchima Illa Issouou 和 Beverly Ochieng
BBC 世界台，尼亚美和内罗毕
自尼日尔政变以来，人们对西方的敌意日益增强，一名商人在被废黜的总统穆罕默德·巴祖姆的传统中心地带自豪地展示了自己穿着俄罗斯国旗颜色的服装。
自政变以来，军方与西方之间一直存在口水战。
巴祖姆先生是西方打击激进伊斯兰分子的坚定盟友，也是强大的经济伙伴。
尼日尔拥有法国军事基地，是世界第七大铀生产国。 这种燃料对核电至关重要，其中四分之一流向欧洲，尤其是前殖民国家法国。
自从7月26日阿卜杜拉哈曼·奇亚尼将军发动政变推翻总统以来，俄罗斯色彩突然出现在街头。
周日，数千人参加了首都尼亚美的抗议活动，一些人挥舞着俄罗斯国旗，甚至袭击了法国大使馆。
现在看来，这场“运动”正在全国蔓延。
这位商人住在 800 公里（500 英里）外的津德尔市中心，出于安全原因，他不愿透露自己的名字，并要求我们模糊他的脸。
“我是亲俄罗斯的，我不喜欢法国，”他说。 “我从小就反对法国。
“他们掠夺了我国的所有财富，如铀、石油和黄金。最贫穷的尼日尔人因为法国而无法一日三餐。”
这位商人表示，数千人参加了周一在津德尔举行的抗议活动，以支持军事接管。
他说，他已要求当地裁缝采用俄罗斯白、蓝、红颜色的材料为他制作一套服装，但否认亲俄团体支付了费用。
尼日尔有 2,440 万人，其中五分之二的人生活在极端贫困之中，每天的生活费不足 2.15 美元。
尼日尔的政变支持者，支持尼日尔军事接管的示威活动经常出现俄罗斯国旗
巴祖姆总统于 2021 年上任，这是尼日尔自 1960 年独立以来首次民主、和平的权力过渡。
但他的政府是与伊斯兰国组织和基地组织有联系的伊斯兰武装分子的目标，这些武装分子在撒哈拉沙漠的部分地区和南部的半干旱萨赫勒地区游荡。
在伊斯兰主义者的压力下，邻国马里和布基纳法索的军队近年来夺取了权力，这两个国家也是法国拥有大量利益的前法国殖民地，并称这将有助于打击圣战分子。
和尼日尔一样，这两个国家此前也有大量法国军队提供帮助，但随着伊斯兰主义袭击的持续，整个地区的反法情绪高涨，这三个国家的人民开始指责法国没有采取足够的措施来阻止他们。
马里军政府上台后，对俄罗斯雇佣军瓦格纳集团表示欢迎，他们首先驱逐了法国军队，然后又迫使数千名联合国维和人员离开。
尽管马里的伊斯兰袭击仍在继续，但布基纳法索的军政府也与俄罗斯关系密切，并驱逐了数百名法国军队。
在尼日尔，巴祖姆政府经常禁止反法抗议活动。
2022 年年中，一些民间社会团体开始升级反法抗议活动，当时巴祖姆政府批准将法国新月军部队在奉命离开马里后重新部署到尼日尔。
其中的关键是 M62 运动，该运动由活动家、民间社会运动和工会联盟于 2022 年 8 月组成。 他们带头呼吁反对生活成本上升、治理不善和法国军队的存在。
摩托车上的俄罗斯国旗，尼日尔街头突然流行俄罗斯色彩
该组织计划的各种抗议活动均被尼日尔当局禁止或暴力镇压，其领导人阿卜杜拉耶·赛杜 (Abdoulaye Seydou) 于 2023 年 4 月因“扰乱公共秩序”被判入狱九个月。
巴祖姆总统下台后，M62 似乎又重新焕发了活力。
国家电视台援引其成员的不同寻常举动，动员群众抗议支持军政府，并谴责西非领导人对政变的制裁。
目前尚不清楚该组织是否与国家保卫祖国委员会（CNSP）军政府或俄罗斯有联系。
但组织周日抗议活动的却是伞式组织，民主斗争协调委员会（CCLD）布卡塔和尼日尔青年行动等较小的民间社会团体也出席了活动。
回到津德尔，这位亲俄罗斯商人对莫斯科如何帮助他的祖国持积极态度。
“我希望俄罗斯在安全和粮食方面提供帮助，”他说。 “俄罗斯可以提供技术来改善我们的农业。”
但同样住在津德尔的农民穆塔卡驳斥了这种说法，并表示政变对每个人来说都是坏消息。
“我不支持俄罗斯人来到这个国家，因为他们都是欧洲人，没有人会帮助我们，”他说。 “我爱我的国家，希望我们能够和平相处。”
Niger coup: Why some people want Russia in and France out
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-66365376
By Tchima Illa Issoufou & Beverly Ochieng
In a sign of growing hostility towards the West since the coup in Niger, a businessman proudly shows off his outfit in the colours of the Russian flag in the traditional heartland of deposed President Mohamed Bazoum.
Since the coup, there has been a war of words between the military and the West.
Mr Bazoum was a staunch ally of the West in the fight against militant Islamists, and was a strong economic partner as well.
Niger hosts a French military base and is the world's seventh biggest producer of uranium. The fuel is vital for nuclear power with a quarter of it going to Europe, especially former colonial power France.
Since General Abdourahamane Tchiani overthrew the president in a coup on 26 July, Russian colours have suddenly appeared on the streets.
Thousands took part in a protest in the capital Niamey on Sunday, with some waving Russian flags and even attacking the French embassy.
It now seems this "movement" is spreading across the country.
The businessman, based 800km (500 miles) away in the central city of Zinder, didn't want to give his name for safety reasons and asked that we blur his face.
"I'm pro-Russian and I don't like France," he said. "Since childhood, I've been opposed to France.
"They've exploited all the riches of my country such as uranium, petrol and gold. The poorest Nigeriens are unable to eat three times a day because of France."
The businessman said thousands had taken part in Monday's protest in Zinder in support of the military takeover.
He said he had asked a local tailor to take material in the Russian colours of white, blue and red and make an outfit for him, denying that it had been paid for by pro-Russian groups.
Niger is home to 24.4 million people where two in every five live in extreme poverty, on less than $2.15 a day.
IMAGE SOURCE,AFP Image caption,
President Bazoum entered office in 2021 in Niger's first democratic and peaceful transition of power since independence in 1960.
But his government was a target for Islamist militants linked to the Islamic State group and al-Qaeda who roam across parts of the Sahara Desert and the semi-arid Sahel just to the south.
Under pressure from the Islamists, the armies in both neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso, also former French colonies with considerable French interests, seized power in recent years, saying this would help in the fight against jihadists.
Like Niger, both these countries previously had significant numbers of French troops helping them but as the Islamist attacks continued, anti-French sentiment rose across the region, with people in all three countries starting to accuse the French of not doing enough to stop them.
Once in power, the junta in Mali welcomed Russia's mercenary Wagner Group as they first forced out French troops and then pushed for thousands of UN peacekeepers to leave.
Although Islamist attacks have continued in Mali, Burkina Faso's junta has also grown close to Russia and expelled hundreds of French forces.
In Niger, anti-French protests were frequently banned by Mr Bazoum's administration.
Several civil society groups began escalating anti-French protests in mid-2022, when Mr Bazoum's administration approved the redeployment of France's Barkhane forces to Niger after they had been ordered to leave Mali.
Key among them is the M62 movement, formed in August 2022 by a coalition of activists, civil society movements and trade unions. They led calls against the rising cost of living, poor governance and the presence of the French forces.
Image caption,
Various planned protests by the group were banned or violently put down by Niger's authorities with its leader Abdoulaye Seydou jailed for nine months in April 2023 for "disrupting public order".
The M62 appears revitalised in the wake of President Bazoum's removal.
In an unusual move, its members were quoted by state TV mobilising mass protests in support of the junta, as well as denouncing sanctions by West African leaders over the coup.
It is unclear if the group is linked to the junta known as the National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland (CNSP) or to Russia.
But it was the umbrella group organising Sunday's protest, where smaller civil society groups such as the Coordination Committee for the Democratic Struggle (CCLD) Bukata and Youth Action for Niger were also present.
Back in Zinder, the pro-Russia businessman is positive about how Moscow can help his homeland.
"I want Russia to help with security and food," he said. "Russia can supply technology to improve our agriculture."
But Moutaka, a farmer who also lives in Zinder, rejects this argument and says the coup is bad news for everyone.
"I don't support the arrival of Russians in this country because they are all Europeans and nobody will help us," he said. "I love my country and hope we can live in peace."
