French President Emmanuel Macron, invited on Sunday evening to the TF1 and France 2 news programs, announced the return to Paris of the ambassador to Niamey and the withdrawal of French troops from Niger “by the end of the year.” This announcement was welcomed by the military regime in power, which sees it as a new step towards Niger’s sovereignty.
After a two-month standoff with the Nigerien junta, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday, September 24, during a live interview on TF1 and France 2, that the return of the ambassador and the withdrawal of troops would take place “in the coming weeks and months” and would be fully completed “by the end of the year.”
The withdrawal of the 1,500 French troops based in Niger, who were one of Paris’ last allies in the Sahel before the coup on July 26, comes after similar withdrawals from Mali and Burkina Faso, where France has already been pushed out by hostile juntas.
The military regime that came to power in Niger through a coup in late July welcomed Emmanuel Macron’s announcements. “This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards Niger’s sovereignty. French troops, as well as the French ambassador, will leave Niger’s soil,” said General Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of the junta. After refusing for several weeks to recall Sylvain Itté, its chief diplomat in Niger, whom the junta demanded to be removed, Emmanuel Macron finally put an end to an untenable situation.
The ambassador and his team were subjected to pressure and threats from the junta. Niger’s Foreign Minister, Abdourahamane Tiani, denounced the defense cooperation agreements between Paris and Niamey, claiming that the French presence in Niger was “illegal.”
Protests demanding the departure of French troops regularly take place in the capital, but for now, they remain in their bases.
“This is the end of this cooperation,” President Macron finally confirmed, assuring that the troops would return “in an orderly manner in the coming weeks and months.”
After ten years of counterterrorism military operations in the Sahel, France now only maintains a presence in Chad with 1,000 soldiers in the region.
However, Macron expressed concerns about the deteriorating relations between Paris and Niamey, as Niger has banned French aircraft from its airspace.
In addition to the Niger situation, Macron also expressed concerns about a possible military offensive by Azerbaijan against Armenia, stating that Azerbaijan threatens the common border and territorial integrity of Armenia. He criticized Russia’s complicity and Turkey’s support in these maneuvers, emphasizing France’s vigilance regarding Armenia’s territorial integrity.
During the interview, President Macron also addressed domestic issues such as fuel prices, purchasing power, and energy. He announced his intention for France to phase out coal by 2027 by shutting down the remaining two coal-fired power plants.
With AFP