Niger's pro-junta protesters attack French Embassy

Supporters of the junta that took over Niger in a coup last week marched through the capital and attacked the French Embassy on Sunday, as a regional blocraised the possibility of military intervention ifthe president of the West African country was not reinstated soon.

Video on social media shows protesters attempting to smash the door of the embassy. There are unconfirmed reports the door was lit on fire.

Thousands of supporters of the military could been seen in the streets, some waving Russian flags, chanting "Long live Russia,""Long live [Vladimir] Putin," Russia's president, and "Down with France," Niger's former colonial administrator before the Nigerien army dispersedthe crowd.

Russian mercenary group Wagner is already operating in neighbouring Mali, and Putin would like to expand his country's influence in the region. However, it is unclear yet whether the new junta leaders are going to move toward Moscow or stick with Niger's Western partners.

"The president will not tolerate any attack against Franceand its interests," President Emmanuel Macron's office said in astatement, specifying that it would respond to attacks againstFrench diplomats, armed forces or businesses.

In a separate statement, the French Foreign Ministry said France condemns all violenceagainst diplomatic missionsand that authorities in Nigerare obliged to ensure their security under international law.

Macron has spoken with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and former president of Niger Mahamadou Issoufou in the last few hours, the statement from the president's office said, adding that both of them condemned the coup and called for calm.

Leaders from the West African regional bloc ECOWASheld an emergency summit on Sunday andimposed financial and travel sanctions against Niger's military leader, who ousted Bazoumon July 26. The bloc also said it hadauthorized the use of force if the president was not reinstated within a week. Its leadersdemanded Bazoum's reinstatement, sayingthe junta had him in a "hostage situation."

Franceannounced on Saturday it was cutting all development aid to the country and called for Bazoum to be returned to office. Niger has been a security partner of France, and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's wider Sahel region.

WATCH | Fears grow that Niger willturn to Russia for support:

Niger president seen in photo for 1st time since coup

1 year ago

Duration 2:06

The world got its first glimpse of Nigers President Mohamed Bazoum since he was ousted from power last week. It comes as coup leaders warn that France may try to intervene in the West African country.

Bazoum was democratically elected two years ago in Niger's first peaceful transfer of power since independence from France in 1960.

The mutineers said they overthrew him because he wasn't able to secure the country against growing jihadi violence.

But some analysts and Nigeriens say that's just a pretext for a takeover that is more about internal power struggles than securing the nation.

"We couldn't expect a coup in Niger because there's no social, political or security situation that would justify that the military take the power," Prof. Amad Hassane Boubacar, who teaches at the University of Niamey, told The Associated Press.

He said Bazoum wanted to replace the head of the presidential guard, Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani, who is now in charge of the country. Tchiani, who also goes by Omar, was loyal to Bazoum's predecessor,Issoufou, and that sparked the problems, Boubacar said.

WATCH |4 things to know about the unfolding coup in Niger:

4 things to know about the unfolding coup in Niger

1 year ago

Duration 4:41

Behind the unfolding coup in Niger is a fragile domestic landscape and a complex web of foreign influence, threatening stability well beyond its borders.