Only 'Legitimate' Govt can cut Military Ties - France Rejects Niger Junta's Move to Scrap Military Pacts

The French government has rejected the Niger junta's move to scrap bilateral military pacts, saying that only the country's "legitimate" leadership is entitled to do so.

The French foreign ministry said that the legal framework of the defense agreement with Niger is based on accords that were signed with the democratically elected government of President Mohamed Bazoum.

Bazoum was detained by his own guards last week, and a military junta has since taken power.

Niger, a key part of the African region known as the Sahel, has been plagued by jihadist violence and military coups in recent years. Niger had been seen as an example of relative stability in the region, but the coup has deposed such regard.

France and the United States have military bases in Niger that are used to fight Islamist insurgents.

The coup in Niger has been condemned by the African Union and the United Nations. The regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has called for the immediate release of Bazoum and the restoration of constitutional order.