French President Emmanuel Macron announced this on Sunday, almost two months after the coup
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that France would withdraw its soldiers and diplomatic staff from Niger, the sub-Saharan country where the army seized power in a coup in early August. Macron said that military cooperation with Niger had “ended” and that French soldiers (around 1,500) would leave the country “in the next few months”, probably by the end of the year: the withdrawal of French soldiers was an express wish of Niger Government, set up and supported by the army.
The 1,500 French soldiers in Niger were mainly involved in operations to combat Islamic extremism spread throughout the Sahel (some of these groups are linked to the Islamic State or al-Qaeda). Before the coup, Niger remained one of the few countries still ruled by a president close to Western governments, but the coup was immediately marked by strong anti-French sentiment. In the days that followed, several images circulated of junta supporters waving placards or chanting anti-France slogans. Many of them praised Russia, waving Russian flags or signs reading “Down with France, long live Putin.”
Macron added that the French ambassador and a number of other members of the French diplomatic staff currently in the country will leave Niger in the next few hours. The withdrawal of French diplomatic staff was also a wish of the new Nigerian government, which Macron had not yet complied with. At the end of August, the junta had given the French ambassador Sylvain Itte 48 hours to leave: when the deadline expired without France recalling him, the junta lifted his diplomatic immunity.
Tensions between the two countries had continued to escalate in recent weeks. Macron announced the withdrawal of soldiers and diplomatic staff in an interview with France-2, a French public television channel. He said the withdrawal of soldiers would be done “peacefully” and in coordination with the ruling military junta in Niger. Macron also said he had informed democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum of his decision: he considered him a “hostage” and “the only legitimate authority” in Niger.
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