The meeting began with a tribute. Forty-eight hours after the bloody attack in Niger which claimed the lives of six French people from the humanitarian association Acted, as well as their driver (also an NGO employee) and their Nigerien guide, Emmanuel Macron opened the Defense council organized Tuesday, August 11 with a "thought" for the victims, "for their families, their relatives, themselves and for all that they represent of the commitment of our youth."
With this meeting, taken on Sunday evening and which was held by videoconference, the Head of State intended to take stock of the latest advances in the investigation and the information in possession of Paris and Niamey, while that the French army has been supporting the Nigerien forces since Monday in tracking down the attackers. It was also a question of examining the homage which will be paid to the victims, the painful operations of the "return of the bodies". But also to review the legal, military and diplomatic consequences of this tragedy.
"Do not let this heinous crime go unpunished"
"I have decided to strengthen security measures for our nationals in the region," the President of the Republic said on Twitter, without giving more details. This point was immediately, for the Elysee, "one of the first issues", "a priority question". The executive had not, Tuesday evening, given the details of the measures to be put in place. But the question of the classification of “zones” by degree of dangerousness, in particular, was to be examined during this summit meeting, while the attack took place in the only sector (that of Kouré, 60 km away. south-east of Niamey) classified as “yellow” - where tourist travel is possible - from this country plagued by increasing violence from Sahelian jihadist groups.
"We are doing everything to support the families of the victims and respond to the attack which claimed the lives of six of our compatriots and two Nigeriens," Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. A few hours later, on the sidelines of a trip to Montpellier (Hérault), the Prime Minister, Jean Castex, promised that this "despicable attack", "of extreme violence and cowardice difficult to describe", would not remain. not without an answer.
"France will take care not to allow this heinous crime against our compatriots to go unpunished", warned the head of government. A team of eleven French investigators (from the DGSI, the Counterterrorism Sub-directorate and the scientific technical police) flew to Niger as part of a request for international assistance accepted by the Nigerien authorities.
Examine the "military consequences" of the attack
This attack - "obviously terrorist" according to the president - recalls "that France is a priority target of terrorist groups and, unfortunately, it is not a novelty", estimates one at the Elysee. "These groups perceive France and the support that we bring to the Sahelian countries as something which hinders their agenda", we further explain.
Some 5,100 French soldiers are currently deployed in the Sahel as part of Operation Barkhane, in support of the armies of the five countries in the region, including Niger, to fight against armed jihadist groups. Tuesday, Emmanuel Macron said that the Defense Council was also intended to examine "the military consequences" and "all the (French) devices in the region", without, there either, it being for the hour delivered more details. This drama rekindles questions about Operation Barkhane, but the Head of State warned: "We are continuing action to eradicate terrorist groups with the reinforced support of our partners".