French army ready to begin Niger pullout
– France said on Thursday that it would start withdrawing its troops from Niger this week. This comes after its falling-out with the post-coup regime, which insists the exit be carried out in accordance with its “conditions”.
The announcement by the French army follows weeks of tensions between Paris and Niger’s new military rulers, who seized power on 26 July.
President Emmanuel Macron, who had sought to make a special ally of Niger, announced the withdrawal of 1 400 French troops from the country “by the end of the year” on 24 September.
This complies with a demand by the new regime in Niamey.
He said that military cooperation with Niger was “over”.
France’s ambassador to Niamey last week also returned home from the West African country after the regime demanded his expulsion.
“We will begin our disengagement operation this week, in good order, safely and in coordination with the Nigeriens”, the military headquarters said.
The French soldiers are in Niger as part of a wider fight against jihadists across the Sahel region.
About 1 000 soldiers and airmen are deployed at the French base in the capital, Niamey.
Another 400 are deployed alongside local troops in Ouallam and Ayorou in northwestern Niger near the borders with Burkina Faso and Mali.
The “three borders” zone is known as a haven for the Islamic State group.
The soldiers based at Ouallam will be the first to leave. said Niger’s military rulers.
The airbase at Niamey will then be dismantled by the end of the year, they added.
Soldiers withdrawing from the area will need cover to leave their exposed forward positions, the military headquarters said.
This could possibly include air support from the larger force at the airbase outside Niamey.
Niger’s military rulers said they would be “attentive to ensure that this withdrawal takes place with respect for our interests and according to our conditions”.
The French troops have been living with uncertainty since the new regime began demanding their departure.
This has been marked by irregular supplies of food and repeated anti-French demonstrations outside the Niamey base.
France had reinforced its presence in Niger after another coupborn military regime in Mali demanded its forces’ departure.
Paris had added armoured vehicles and helicopters to the drones and fighter jets that were already deployed.
Its troops will now have to withdraw either via Benin to the south – which is at odds with the Niamey regime – or Chad to the east, the site of France’s headquarters for the Sahel theatre.
For now, Niamey forbids French flights over its territory.
The coup against Niger’s democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum was the third such putsch in the region in as many years.
It followed similar actions in former French colonies Mali and Burkina Faso in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Nigeria has welcomed the offer by Algeria to mediate talks with the military regime, which includes a proposed six-month transition period. –