M62 Movement
| M62 Movement | |
|---|---|
| M62 : Union sacrée pour la sauvegarde de la souveraineté et de la dignité du peuple | |
 | |
| Leaders | Abdoulaye Seydou (arrested)[1] |
| Dates of operation | 4 July 2022–present |
| Headquarters | Niamey, Niger |
| Active regions | Niger and other bordering countries |
| Ideology | |
| Allies |  National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland |
| Opponents | Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism Council of Resistance for the Republic  France African UnionECOWAS |
The M62 Movement (French: Mouvement M62), officially known as "M62: Sacred Union for the Safeguard of the Sovereignty and Dignity of the People" (French: M62 : Union sacrée pour la sauvegarde de la souveraineté et de la dignité du peuple),[2] is a political movement in Niger. Fifteen civil society organisations have launched the M62 Movement as a reaction against the French military's presence during the ongoing Operation Barkhane.[3][4] The group identifies as anti-imperialist and anti-French, and is known for its Russophilia.
The group opposes the French intervention by characterizing it as an imperialist ambition. They have also been on the side of the military junta during the coup d'état and crisis.
History
It was established on 4 July 2022, with the purpose of expressing opposition to the French presence in Operation Barkhane, which the group perceives as a "French military presence in Niger," and thus views it as a form of invasion.[4] During these protests, participants utilized the flags of Russia and Niger as symbols. As of September 19, 2022, the protests persisted, and certain slogans emerged, such as "France is a Nazi State!", "The colonial army (Barkhane) must leave", and "Pull the French colonial army out".[5] During these protests, many have also worn Z symbol shirts that is used during the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The leader of M62, Abdoulaye Seydou, has denied any links with the Russian government, stating that "We are fighting for Niger's sovereignty, so we are not with any foreign country partners,"[6] and said protest organizers confiscated Russian flags brought by protesters. In an interview where he described Thomas Sankara as an "idol" to The Irish Times for his opposition to neocolonialism. Seydou was arrested by the government of Mohamed Bazoum just one day after the interview.[6]
During the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état against Bazoum, the group marched in support of said coup. In a march at the request of Abdourahmane Tchiani, thousands of pro-coup Nigeriens gathered in Niamey's Concertation square, in front of the National Assembly, and went to the French Embassy carrying Nigerien and Russian flags, with slogans such as "Down with France, out with Barkhane, we don't care about ECOWAS, the European Union and the African Union!", "Arrest the former dignitaries to return the stolen millions.", and "Down with France, long live Putin!".[7][8][9] The demonstrators also called for an immediate intervention by the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group.[8] During the march, the entrances to the French and American embassies were closed.[7] The French embassy's walls and gates were set ablaze and damaged whilst Nigerien soldiers and General Salifou Modi were seen on the ground urging the crowds to disperse peacefully.[9][10]
References
- ^ "Abdoulaye Seydou". Front Line Defenders. January 24, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ "Niger : qu'est-ce que le mouvement civil M62, qui a appelé à manifester ce dimanche ?" [Niger: what is the M62 civil movement, which called for demonstrations this Sunday?]. TF1 INFO. July 30, 2023. Retrieved 2023-08-04.
- ^ Abdoulkarim, Mahamadou (2022-08-19). "Au Niger, un mouvement s'oppose à la présence de Barkhane". www.dw.com (in French). DW. Retrieved 11 August 2023.
- ^ a b "Niger: Civil society protests against the French military presence". La rédaction Afro impact. August 4, 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ "M62 affiliated protesters march against French military in Niger". VOA. September 19, 2022. Retrieved 2023-07-31.
- ^ a b https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2023/02/16/arrested-m62-leader-wants-french-military-forces-to-leave-niger/
- ^ a b "Miles de personas participan en Niamey en una marcha en apoyo al golpe de Estado" [Thousands of people participate in a march in Niamey in support of the coup]. infobae (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ a b "Miles de nigerinos salen a las calles de Niamey para defender a los golpistas entre gritos a favor de Rusia" [Thousands of Nigeriens take to the streets of Niamey to defend the coup plotters amid chants for Russia]. LA NACION (in Spanish). 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ a b "French embassy in Niger is attacked as protesters waving Russian flags march through capital". AP News. 2023-07-30. Retrieved 2023-07-30.
- ^ @YGuichaoua (2023-07-30). "Salifou Modi en personne vient calmer les manifestants devant l'ambassade de France. chaud, froid, chaud..." [Salifou Modi in person comes to calm the demonstrators in front of the French Embassy. hot, cold, hot...] (Tweet). Retrieved 2023-07-31 – via Twitter.