- Title: Thousands of Niger coup supporters flock to national stadium for military rally
- Date: 6th August 2023
- Summary: NIAMEY, NIGER (AUGUST 6, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS AERIAL VIEWS OF CROWDED STADIUM CROWD IN STANDS VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF NIGER'S RULING MILITARY COUNCIL WAVING AT CROWD CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (French) COUP SUPPORTER, AMADOU HAMADOU MOUMOUNI, SAYING: "The aim of the demonstration is to show the whole world and the international community that we are 100 per cent behind the agent who has taken power, which is the CNSP (National Council for Safeguarding the Homeland). They have their support, they have the support of the population. We went out to lend a hand. So that's the contribution we can make." MEN RIDING ON TOP OF CAR WAVING RUSSIAN FLAGS AND SHOUTING (French): "DOWN WITH FRANCE!" VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS USHERING PEOPLE THROUGH STADIUM GATE CROWD VARIOUS OF MILITARY LEADERS WAVING AT CROWD MILITARY LEADERS STEPPING ONTO STAGE CROWD IN STANDS APPLAUDING VARIOUS OF MILITARY LEADERS SALUTING MILITARY LEADERS ON STAGE MILITARY LEADER DELIVERING SPEECH, AUDIENCE APPLAUDING (SOUNDBITE) (French) COUP SUPPORTER, ALI SIDDO MAAZOU, SAYING: "It was the political context that led us to a situation where the military decided to put an end to this regime that everyone knew about. Today, we went out to demonstrate, to show our dissatisfaction with ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States)." DRONE SHOT OF MILITARY LEADERS ON STAGE AT STADIUM COUP SUPPORTERS CUTTING HEAD OFF CHICKEN PAINTED IN FRENCH FLAG COLORS, THROWING CHICKEN INTO CROWD CROWD
- Embargoed: 20th August 2023 21:30
- Keywords: aerial imagers africa conflict coup diplomacy drone emerging foreign france government markets military niger nigeria peace policy politics sahel top shots war west
- Location: NIAMEY, NIGER
- City: NIAMEY, NIGER
- Country: Niger
- Topics: Africa,Conflicts/War/Peace
- Reuters ID: LVA001272606082023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: GRAPHIC IMAGERY IN SHOT 17
Thousands of supporters of Niger's coup leaders flocked to a stadium in the capital Niamey on Sunday (August 6), appearing undaunted by the threat of military intervention from West Africa's regional bloc as its ultimatum to reinstate the president expires.
On Niamey's streets there were also sporadic displays of support for but no signs of opposition to the junta, which has said it will not cave in to external pressure to stand down following the July 26 power grab.
Rippling cheers greeted every sentence of a speech read by a representative of the new army-led administration to the packed crowd at the stadium, who stressed the junta's determination to stay in power.
The seventh coup in West and Central Africa in three years has rocked the Sahel region, one of the poorest in the world. Given its uranium and oil riches and its pivotal role in a war with Islamist militants, Niger holds importance for the U.S., Europe, China and Russia.
(Production: Abdel-Kader Mazou, Cooper Inveen) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None