THEY have built a hospital, a police station and 500 villas to provide all the modern amenities that an athlete may need. No expense has been spared to make competitors feel welcome in this year’s Francophone Games.

Welcome to Niger, proud host of an event that takes place every four years and which France created as a riposte to the Commonwealth Games. The streets of Niamey, the capital, have been plastered with the flags of the 56 competing nations for an event intended to showcase "Francophone excellence".

Yet, as hundreds of athletes from 56 mainly French- speaking countries compete in sports ranging from football to judo, questions are being asked about the wisdom of awarding the games to Niger, one of the poorest countries in the world.

"Once again, an African country has shot itself in the foot," said Buchizya Mseteka, a Zambian political commentator. "That it does with French support says a lot about why Francophone Africa is today in such a mess."

The event is costing more than £5.2 million, almost half of the sum that the United Nations has been seeking in aid in a special emergency appeal to feed 3.5 million hungry people in the vast, drought-hit Saharan country.

Thousands of people, many of them children under 5, died last summer as the combined effects of drought, failed harvests, poor nutrition and a locust invasion took hold of an impoverished and largely nomadic population of 14 million people.

Many of the country’s poorest people have had to sell all their animals and crops and now barely scrape out an existence on far less than 50 pence a day. Life expectancy in the country is little more than 40. Disease from poor sanitation and water is rife.

Niger’s Government maintained that the famine reports were exaggerated and — despite non-existent health services — exhibited a somewhat Gallic-style indifference to all criticism, pushing on with the organisation of the Games. Supporters say that the event is a boost to everyone’s morale.

Yesterday organisers of the Games defended the decision to go ahead with the Games in Niger. Jean-François Lamour, the French Sports Minister, said that the decision to hold the event in Niamey was one of "solidarity" with Niger in its current problems. "Everywhere I went in Niamey people expressed their pride in organising these games. Their commitment and dedication is strong," M Lamour said.

"This is an opportunity for Niger to show off its pride and dignity and a wonderful opportunity for development," said Brigitte Girardin, a French minister delegated to work with the Francophone Development and Co-operation body.

Participants and organisers would bring much-needed foreign currency into the country and Canada and France, both leading members of the Francophone club, would pay the other half of the bill, she added.

However, political analysts say that the decision to hold the Games there once again highlights how out of line France has become with other former European powers in its relations with its former colonies.

Britain, in particular, has been urging African countries to take greater responsibility for their own actions and rely less on aid handouts.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• Fish and chip shops ‘selling cobbler as cod’
• T in the Park festival at Kinross
• How to get Madonna’s Thighs