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. 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. M62 organized a series of protests in September 2022, during which hundreds of participants used the flags of
Niger and
Russia as symbols, while chanting slogans such as: "Barkhane out", "Down with France" and "Long live Putin and Russia". 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", 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. During the
2023 Nigerien coup d'état against President Bazoum, the group came out in support of the coup. 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. The demonstration was dispersed with tear gas before it arrived at the
National Assembly. On 1 September 2023, M62 organized a
sit-in outside of the French embassy in Niamey, demanding that the French military withdraw from Niger. 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. ==References==