M62 Movement
{{Short description|Political movement in Niger}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox war faction
| name = M62 Movement
| native_name = M62 : Union sacrée pour la sauvegarde de la souveraineté et de la dignité du peuple
| native_name_lang =
| image = Logo of the M62 Movement.png
| caption =
| active = 4 July 2022–present
| ideology = *Pan-Africanism
- Sankarism
- Anti-imperialism
- Anti-French sentiment
- Russophilia
- Anti-Ukrainian sentiment{{cite web |title=Niamey : Le M62 salue les décisions des pays de l’AES de rompre leurs relations diplomatiques avec l’Ukraine |url=http://news.aniamey.com/h/120834.html |website=aNiamey |access-date=10 August 2024}}
| leaders = Abdoulaye Seydou (arrested, later released after charges dropped){{Cite web |url=https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/profile/abdoulaye-seydou |title=Abdoulaye Seydou |date=24 January 2023 |website=Front Line Defenders |access-date=2023-08-04}}
| headquarters = Niamey, Niger
| area = Niger
| predecessor =
| allies = {{flagicon image|Flag_of_niger_armed_forces_obv.jpg}} National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland
{{RUS}}
| opponents = Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism
Council of Resistance for the Republic
{{FRA}}
{{UKR}}
| status =
| founders =
}}
The M62 Movement ({{Langx|fr|link=no|Mouvement M62}}), officially known as "M62: Sacred Union for the Safeguard of the Sovereignty and Dignity of the People" ({{langx|fr|M62 : Union sacrée pour la sauvegarde de la souveraineté et de la dignité du peuple|links=no}}), is a political movement in Niger. It was established in 2022 by a coalition of civil society organizations, as a reaction against the French military's presence during the ongoing Operation Barkhane.
The movement organized a series of demonstrations against the French military, becoming the country's largest opposition movement against the Government of Mohamed Bazoum. It supported the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état, following which it held demonstrations outside the French Embassy in Niamey, demanding the withdrawal of the French military from the country.
History
M62 was established by a coalition of fifteen civil society organizations on 4 July 2022, with the purpose of expressing opposition to the French military presence in Operation Barkhane.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=4 August 2022 |title=Niger: Civil society protests against the French military presence. |url=https://www.afro-impact.com/en/niger-civil-society-protests-against-the-french-military-presence/ |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=La rédaction Afro impact}} The movement's leader Abdoulaye Seydou claimed that the French military had massacred civilians, exploited the country's natural resources and prevented Niger from cooperating with neighboring Mali, in an appeal that was supported by Nigerien Pan-Africanists.{{cite web |last1=Abdoulkarim |first1=Mahamadou |title=Au Niger, un mouvement s'oppose à la présence de Barkhane |trans-title=In Niger, a movement opposes the presence of Barkhane |url=https://www.dw.com/fr/m63-oppos%C3%A9-%C3%A0-barkhane-au-niger/a-62872884 |website=www.dw.com |publisher=DW |access-date=11 August 2023 |language=French |date=2022-08-19}}
M62 organized a series of protests in September 2022, during which hundreds of participants used the flags of Niger and Russia as symbols,{{Cite web |date=19 September 2022 |title=M62 affiliated protesters march against French military in Niger |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/voa60-africa---m62-affiliated-protesters-march-against-french-military-in-niger/6753770.html |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=VOA |via=}} while chanting slogans such as: "Barkhane out", "Down with France" and "Long live Putin and Russia".{{Cite web |url=https://www.tf1info.fr/international/coup-d-etat-niger-qu-est-ce-que-le-mouvement-civil-m62-qui-a-appele-a-manifester-ce-dimanche-30-juillet-2023-2265194.html |title=Niger : qu'est-ce que le mouvement civil M62, qui a appelé à manifester ce dimanche ? |trans-title=Niger: what is the M62 civil movement, which called for demonstrations this Sunday? |date=30 July 2023 |website=TF1 INFO |access-date=2023-08-04}} 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",{{Cite news |title=Arrested M62 leader wants French military forces to leave Niger |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2023/02/16/arrested-m62-leader-wants-french-military-forces-to-leave-niger/ |access-date=2023-08-14 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}} and said protest organizers confiscated Russian flags brought by protesters. In an interview with The Irish Times, he described Thomas Sankara as an "idol" for his opposition to neocolonialism. Seydou was arrested by the Government of Mohamed Bazoum just one day after the interview.
M62 became one of the largest opposition movements in the country, denouncing what they described as their "political persecution" by the Bazoum Government. In October 2022, M62 accused the French military forces of massacring civilians during a helicopter raid against an illegal gold mine.{{cite web|url=https://www.africanews.com/2023/08/15/niger-scraps-jail-sentence-for-head-of-group-supporting-military/|title=Niger scraps jail sentence for head of group supporting military|date=15 August 2023|access-date=12 September 2023|work=Africanews}}
During the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état against President Bazoum, the group came out in support of the coup.{{Cite web |last=Berriault |first=Lea |date=2023-09-18 |title=Niger at the heart of the Sahel crisis |url=https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/niger-sahel/ |access-date=2023-12-03 |website=GIS Reports |language=en-US}} On 30 July 2023, M62 rallied thousands of protesters in the Nigerien capital of Niamey, in a march at the request of the military junta's leader Abdourahamane Tchiani. The demonstration went to the French embassy carrying Nigerien and Russian flags, demanding the withdrawal of French forces and calling for Russian intervention in the country.{{Cite web |date=2023-07-30 |title=Miles de nigerinos salen a las calles de Niamey para defender a los golpistas entre gritos a favor de Rusia |trans-title=Thousands of Nigeriens take to the streets of Niamey to defend the coup plotters amid chants for Russia |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/agencias/miles-de-nigerinos-salen-a-las-calles-de-niamey-para-defender-a-los-golpistas-entre-gritos-a-favor-nid30072023/ |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=La Nación |language=es}} The demonstration was dispersed with tear gas before it arrived at the National Assembly.
On 14 August 2023, M62 leader Abdoulaye Seydou was released from prison by the Nigerien Court of Appeal, which cancelled his nine-month sentence. Following the coup, M62 called for protestors to blockade Niamey International Airport until foreign military forces withdrew from the country.{{Cite web |last=Beaumont |first=Peter |date=2 August 2023 |title=African bloc to meet to discuss Niger coup as evacuations continue |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/aug/02/african-bloc-to-meet-to-discuss-niger-coup-as-evacuations-continue |access-date=12 September 2023}} On 1 September 2023, M62 organized a sit-in outside of the French embassy in Niamey, demanding that the French military withdraw from Niger.{{cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/1/nigers-military-government-slams-macron-for-backing-president-bazoum|title=Niger's military government slams Macron for backing President Bazoum|date=1 September 2023|access-date=12 September 2023|work=Al Jazeera}}
In August 2024, M62 released a statement praising the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) for breaking ties with Ukraine over alleged Ukrainian involvement in the Malian Civil War, and called for a boycott of all Ukrainian products. On 29 January 2025, M62 called a demonstration to celebrate the exit of Niger and the AES from Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).{{cite web|first=Joel|last=Kouam|date=2025-01-29|url=https://www.africanews.com/2025/01/29/thousands-take-to-the-streets-to-mark-nigers-departure-from-ecowas/|title=Thousands take to the streets to mark Niger's departure from ECOWAS|work=Africanews|access-date=2025-02-15}}