French troops stationed in Niger will begin withdrawing from the country “within the week” amid continued strained relations with the military regime following the July 26 coup, we learned on Thursday from the Army General Staff.
“We will launch the disengagement operation within the week in good condition, in security and in coordination with Nigerians,” the General Staff said.
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on September 24 the end of military cooperation with Niger and the gradual withdrawal of the 1,400 French soldiers present in the Sahel country “by the end of the year”, thereby reflecting the will of the new rulers who had overthrown the president Mohamed Bazoum, who denounced the defense agreements between Niamey and Paris.
“We will do what is planned, it will take place in accordance with the planning,” assures the French General Staff, while the military regime accuses France of not having a “logic to leave Niger” and seems little inclined , allowing the withdrawal soldiers to maneuver freely.
About 1,000 French soldiers and airmen are stationed at the French air base in Niamey and 400 in Ouallam and Ayorou (northwest), together with the Nigerians in the so-called “three borders” zone between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, protected area of the Islamic group Country.
Soldiers stationed at forward bases should be the first to withdraw. A similar pattern to Mali, where the French retreat began with the country’s three northernmost fortresses.
“We are taking measures to ensure the safety of those involved in the maneuver,” explained the General Staff, especially on the road that connects the forward bases with the capital and could require air support given the deteriorating security situation in the country after several Attacks with dozens of deaths.
Complex logistics process
The operation promises to be complex: Niger has served as a transit platform for counterterrorism operations conducted in Mali since 2013, before becoming the heart of the French system in the region following the forced withdrawal of French troops from Mali and Burkina Faso. since summer 2022.
For the military, this withdrawal demanded by the junta marks the end of two months of insecurity, which saw regular indiscriminate deliveries and anti-French demonstrations outside its doors in Niamey.
In Niamey, the French compound on Nigerian territory houses hundreds of prefabricated offices, hangars and modular shelters for aircraft, life base tents, pilot cabins for drones, technical bulldozers…
After entering into a combat partnership at Niger’s request, France had increased its presence in the capital with armored vehicles and helicopters, joined by five Reaper drones and at least three fighter jets.
The destination of the equipment has not yet been decided and several options are being discussed: the national territory as a priority, neighboring Chad, where the headquarters of the French forces in the Sahel are located, or other locations.
The soldiers have no choice but to use the land route, either via Benin – an option the Nigerian military regime rejects – or towards Chad, which would then mean transporting the containers back to France to the port of Douala in Cameroon, they say a source close to the matter.
The possibility of an airlift appears to be in jeopardy for now as the Nigerians are banning French aircraft from flying over their territory until further notice.
In Mali, 400 logisticians were mobilized as reinforcements as part of the withdrawal. 6,000 containers were needed to dismantle Gao, the largest French influence in the country.
Paris, which does not recognize the new authorities, has restricted the issuing of visas to Nigerians and ended its cooperation in the country, one of the world’s poorest.
Niger benefited from 120 million euros in official development aid from France in 2022 and is currently subject to sanctions from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) since the end of July.