Niger's new military leaders accused France of amassing forces for a possible military intervention in the country following the coup in July. French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday that he would only take action at the demand of deposed Nigerien leader Mohamed Bazoum.
Niger's junta spokesman, Maj. Amadou Abdramane, said that France is also considering collaborating in such an intervention with the Economic Community of West African States, a regional bloc known as ECOWAS.
"France continues to deploy its forces in several ECOWAS countries as part of preparations for an aggression against Niger," Abdramane said late Saturday in a statement broadcast on state television.
Macron said he wouldn't directly respond to the junta's claim when asked about it after the Group of 20 summit.
"If we redeploy anything, it will only be at the demand of Bazoum and in co-ordination with him, not with those people who are holding a president hostage," he said.
Macron, however, added that France "fully" supports the position of ECOWAS, which has said it's considering a military intervention as an option to reinstate Bazoum as president.
Since toppling Bazoum, the junta in Niger, a former French colony, has leveraged anti-French sentiment among the population -- asking the French ambassador and troops to leave -- to shore up its support in resistance to regional and international pressure to reinstate the president. The country had been a strategic partner of France and the West in the fight against growing jihadi violence in the conflict-ridden Sahel region, the arid expanse below the Sahara Desert.
The junta spokesman said that France has deployed military aircraft and armoured vehicles in countries like Ivory Coast, Senegal and Benin for such an aggression, a claim that The Associated Press couldn't independently verify.
"This is why the National Council for the Protection of the Fatherland and the transitional government launch a solemn appeal to the great people of Niger to be vigilant and never to demobilize until the inevitable departure of French troops from our territory," he said.
French military spokesperson Col. Pierre Gaudilliere, meanwhile, said Thursday that there is now "a little less" than its 1,500 troops in Niger who had been working with Nigerien security forces to beat back the jihadi violence.
All French activities have been suspended since the coup, "therefore, declarations that have been made (earlier by the French) are about exploring what we're going to do with these capabilities," Gaudilliere said.
------
Angela Charlton contributed to this report from Paris.
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit.
Investor Warren Buffett renewed his Thanksgiving tradition of giving by announcing plans Monday to hand more than US$1.1 billion of Berkshire Hathaway stock to four of his family's foundations, and he offered new details about who will be handing out the rest of his fortune after his death.
Canada Post says they have made 'limited progress' with the union at the negotiating table 11 days after the strike began.
A Los Angeles County judge on Monday postponed a hearing over the possible release of Lyle and Erik Menendez after 35 years in prison for the shotgun murder of their parents, saying he wanted to hear from a new district attorney due to take office on Dec. 3.
A corporal in the Canadian Army has been fined $2,000 and given a severe reprimand for wearing service medals he didn't earn during a Remembrance Day ceremony in Alberta two years ago.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's record on supporting national defence, following fresh criticism that Canada is failing to live up to its NATO defence-spending commitments.
The federal government risks jeopardizing the economy unless it meets its NATO military alliance spending obligations within the next five years, says the Business Council of Canada.
A 62-year-old man from the U.S., who took a wrong turn to the Canadian border thanks to his GPS device, is now facing a firearms-related charge.
Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week.
A 62-year-old man from the U.S., who took a wrong turn to the Canadian border thanks to his GPS device, is now facing a firearms-related charge.
Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week.
A corporal in the Canadian Army has been fined $2,000 and given a severe reprimand for wearing service medals he didn't earn during a Remembrance Day ceremony in Alberta two years ago.
Ontario's Progressive Conservative government has passed a controversial law that will force municipalities to seek approval for installing new bike lanes on arterial roads and could see some existing bike lanes torn up.
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit.
Canada Post says they have made 'limited progress' with the union at the negotiating table 11 days after the strike began.
Google is fighting to beat back another attack by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging monopolistic conduct over its advertising technology.
Special counsel Jack Smith is dropping the federal election subversion and the mishandling of classified documents cases against U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, seeking the cases’ dismissal in court filings Monday.
Israel launched airstrikes across Lebanon on Monday, killing at least 12, while Israeli leaders negotiate ceasefire deal with the Hezbollah militant group.
Pakistani police Monday fired tear gas canisters at supporters of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan to stop them from entering the capital, where they hoped to stage a sit-in to demand his release, officials said.
If life imitates art, a vandal may be haunted by The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come for smashing a tombstone that marked the fictional grave of Ebenezer Scrooge in the English countryside.
A DHL cargo plane crashed on approach to an airport in Lithuania's capital and skidded into a house Monday morning, killing a Spanish crew member but not harming anyone on the ground. The cause is under investigation.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is hoping a temporary break on GST will address a 'vibecession' that has gripped Canadians.
The federal government risks jeopardizing the economy unless it meets its NATO military alliance spending obligations within the next five years, says the Business Council of Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is defending his government's record on supporting national defence, following fresh criticism that Canada is failing to live up to its NATO defence-spending commitments.
Canadians might have noticed menopause is increasingly a topic of conversation outside of health circles, gaining profile in entertainment and popular culture
A disease often thought to only affect 18th century sailors is reemerging in Canada.
Ontario failed to meet its own legislated target this past year for the average number of hands-on hours of care that long-term care residents receive, a newly updated document shows.
Bluesky, the rapidly growing social media platform, is violating EU regulations by failing to disclose important details, a European Commission spokesperson told reporters during a daily briefing on Monday.
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee Monday that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament this week.
Canadian neurosurgeons in partnership with Elon Musk's Neuralink have regulatory approval to recruit six patients with paralysis willing to have a thousand electrode contacts in their brains.
Drake is taking his musical stylings Down Under with a short Australian tour set to kick off on the same date as rival Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl halftime performance.
British pop star Ed Sheeran has apologized to Ruben Amorim after inadvertently interrupting the new Manchester United head coach during a live television interview.
Zayn Malik played his first concert since the death fellow One Direction member Liam Payne and it was emotional.
A Connecticut couple is accused of running an elaborate theft ring at Lululemon stores in multiple states, stealing nearly a million dollars from the company.
A bankruptcy judge is set to hear arguments Monday in conspiracy theorist Alex Jones' effort to stop the satirical news outlet The Onion from buying Infowars and turning it into a parody.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the federal government is hoping a temporary break on GST will address a 'vibecession' that has gripped Canadians.
The Chess World Championship begins in Singapore on Monday with China's Ding Liren seeking to defend his title against India's Gukesh Dommaraju, better known as Gukesh D, who is still just 18 years old and could become the youngest ever person to be crowned world champion.
The Australian government introduced what it's called 'world-leading' legislation in parliament this week to wipe social media accounts – including Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit and X – from the devices of children under 16.
They are tiny insects that are often overlooked or stepped on, but ants are marching not only into people’s backyards, but also their homes, as the popularity of ant-keeping rises in Canada.
NBA legend Charles Barkley has criticized the Los Angeles Lakers over their handling of Bronny James this season.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini.
Nearly 46,000 electric vehicles from Kia, Hyundai and Genesis are being recalled in Canada over a potential power loss issue that can increase the risk of a crash.
Northvolt AB has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States, but said the move will not jeopardize the manufacturer's planned electric vehicle battery plant in Quebec — though hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars invested in the parent company could be lost.
Canadian drivers are regularly in a hurry to get to their destination and a majority are willing to take unnecessary risks on the road, according to the results of a new survey.
The family of a soldier who fought during the Second World War has been reunited with letters written to him 80 years ago.
The holidays may be a time for family, joy and togetherness, but they can also be hard on the wallet.
Humans weren’t the only ones who struggled through the bomb cyclone that formed off the B.C. coast this week, bringing intense winds and choppy seas.
After driving near the water that winter day, Brian Lavery thought he saw a dog splashing in the waves – then realized it was way too cold for that.
Toronto radio and podcast host Jax Irwin has recently gone viral for videos of her cute -- and at times confusing -- phone conversations.
The Lotto Max jackpot has climbed to $80 million for just the second time in Canadian lottery history.
Two young women from New Brunswick have won one of the most prestigious and sought-after academic honours in the world.
Stretching 3,000 kilometres from the tip of New Zealand to its southernmost point, with just a bicycle for transport and a tent to call home, bikepacking event Tour Aotearoa is not for the faint of heart.
When he first moved to his urban neighbourhood, Barry Devonald was surprised to be welcomed by a whole flock of new neighbours.
The intense storms that battered parts of B.C. and the United States last week are partly to blame for a significant surge in Vancouver gas prices, according to a petroleum analyst.
Canadian border officials in British Columbia have seized nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine that was coming into the province in three separate smuggling incidents in recent weeks, according to the agency.
A corporal in the Canadian Army has been fined $2,000 and given a severe reprimand for wearing service medals he didn't earn during a Remembrance Day ceremony in Alberta two years ago.
Ontario's Progressive Conservative government has passed a controversial law that will force municipalities to seek approval for installing new bike lanes on arterial roads and could see some existing bike lanes torn up.
Toronto police say they have charged a mother with second-degree murder following the death of her infant, who was found with critical injuries in midtown Toronto last week.
The Utah Hockey Club got the full Toronto experience Sunday night ahead of their first-ever matchup against the Maple Leafs—bumper-to-bumper traffic that forced the team to walk to the game.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government is looking for ways to encourage pipeline companies to boost capacity and increase Alberta's oil and gas export volumes to the U.S.
If you've ever dreamed of having a home with a basketball court, now's your chance.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for Ottawa as a low-pressure system moves across eastern Ontario on Monday.
OC Transpo is well below its punctuality targets for less frequent bus routes, data presented to the city's Transit Commission show.
A large cargo ship remains stuck in the St. Lawrence River after running aground on Saturday afternoon.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante told journalists 'professional vandals' took over protests and smashed windows at the Palais des Congres.
Fewer young people in Quebec secondary schools are drinking alcohol, consuming sugary drinks and eating junk food, but not all their habits are improving. More of them are also inactive, taking action to change their weight and not eating breakfast before going to school, according to a recent study.
A man in his 50s is in critical condition after a fire broke out in a basement apartment near Frederic-Back Park in the Saint-Michel nieghbourhood.
The Edmonton Police Service now says it is investigating 24 suspicious fires in south Edmonton.
An Ontario-based food processing company is facing 26 charges under Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation in connection with the death of a worker at an Edmonton facility in 2023.
As better diagnosis and symptom management emerged for people with long COVID, researchers in Alberta set to work creating a program that could remotely connect urban specialists and rural patients. Between development and clinical implementation, the project was shelved.
Carol Sheaves of Moncton, N.B., says it's not fair that retirees like her won't get the government's newly proposed rebate cheques. Sheaves was among the seniors who expressed their frustrations to CTVNews.ca about not being eligible for the $250 government benefit.
A 61-year-old man is facing unsafe storage charges in connection with the homicide of 17-year-old Tyson MacDonald on P.E.I., last December.
Every single item misplaced on a bus or ferry in the Halifax Regional Municipality ends up in a small office at the Halifax Transit Bridge Terminal in Dartmouth, N.S.
Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating a deadly police shooting at Winnipeg's Unicity Shopping Centre Sunday evening.
Manitoba RCMP are looking for a missing car connected to an investigation into human remains discovered north of Winnipeg.
A new Indigenous-led family care centre will be coming to Winnipeg, with more than $4.2 million for the project coming from the federal government.
The Saskatchewan Party government said it will prioritize affordability in the coming months during its Throne Speech on Monday, that officially kicked off a short two-week sitting inside the legislature.
Following a second significant dump of snow in less than a week, the City of Regina says it plans to have all high priority roadways cleared by 7:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Canada Post says they have made 'limited progress' with the union at the negotiating table 11 days after the strike began.
The City of Waterloo is trying to make its roads safer by putting together a report on some of the locations with the most crashes in the past five years.
Drivers are being reminded not to take the holiday spirit too far after police received complaints about a distracting vehicle in Waterloo.
A Kitchener, Ont. emergency room doctor has officially earned his second Guinness World Records title.
The Saskatchewan Party government said it will prioritize affordability in the coming months during its Throne Speech on Monday, that officially kicked off a short two-week sitting inside the legislature.
City crews and contractors are at it again — clearing roadways after another major snowfall.
Two people are dead following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 4 Friday evening.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
Environment Canada has issued a winter weather advisory for areas in and around Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Timmins.
Three people have been charged with numerous drug and weapons offences following an incident at a gas station in Bruce Mines, Ont., on Nov. 21.
A weekend house fire has left a family displaced and taken the life of a beloved pet. The blaze at 454 Alston Road broke out shortly after 12:30 p.m.
Tom Fincher is all for a tax break for consumers but implementing the GST tax break announced by the federal government last week at his till will be easier said than done.
Three of the five players from Canada's 2018 world junior hockey team, charged as part of a 2018 sexual assault investigation, appeared in a London court room on Monday.
James Schwalm sat in the prisoner’s box Monday morning weeping as friends and family members told the court about the devastation he caused when he murdered his wife, Ashley Milne, two years ago inside their Collingwood, Ont. home.
A Thornhill resident accused of driving at a high rate of speed along Highway 11 in Muskoka while impaired faces charges.
Police are investigating a collision in Newmarket that sent two women to the hospital over the weekend.
Windsor police are on the scene of what's being called an, "active investigation." "Expect a sustained police presence in the area," read a post on social media.
Windsor police arrested two motorists for impaired driving in separate incidents over the weekend, including a mom with two small children in the backseat.
Windsor police are asking for the public’s help identifying a suspect who allegedly committed an indecent act outside a McKay Avenue home.
A corporal in the Canadian Army has been fined $2,000 and given a severe reprimand for wearing service medals he didn't earn during a Remembrance Day ceremony in Alberta two years ago.
Two weeks after the Vancouver Whitecaps’ playoff run ended in the first round, the team has fired head coach Vanni Sartini.
Canadian border officials in British Columbia have seized nearly a quarter-tonne of cocaine that was coming into the province in three separate smuggling incidents in recent weeks, according to the agency.
Police are appealing for information on a targeted shooting that resulted in the hospitalization of a man in Kamloops.
British Columbia's independent police watchdog has cleared officers of wrongdoing in a crash where three people were killed south of Kamloops in July of last year.
A B.C. woman who stole more than $14,000 in volunteer-raised funds that were supposed to be spent on school supplies and programs – including hot meals for vulnerable kids – won't spend any time in jail.
It's been more than 40 years since coal was king in the scenic Crowsnest Pass of southwestern Alberta, but a referendum vote Monday could sway a contentious debate on bringing it back.
Snow routes were declared active in Lethbridge, the city posted on its website. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, parking restrictions will be in effect for streets declared to be snow routes.
The Hurricanes dropped their third straight game on Friday night, losing 6-3 to the Winterhawks in Portland.
A 24-year-old in Sault Ste. Marie has been charged with attacking a rideshare driver and a police officer.
Three people have been charged with numerous drug and weapons offences following an incident at a gas station in Bruce Mines, Ont., on Nov. 21.
An intoxicated woman in Elliot Lake has been charged with breaking into her neighbour's apartment and choking their dog.
A Newfoundland energy company's embrace of data centres is raising doubts about eastern Canadian hopes of harnessing the region's howling winds to supply Germany with power from green hydrogen.
An international group led by a Canadian is in Rome this week to push the Catholic Church to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on abuse by clergy.
A company hoping to build a multi-billion-dollar wind-to-hydrogen project in western Newfoundland is eyeing other options as Canada's plans to supply Europe with green energy have not yet materialized.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
