President Emmanuel Macron has said France will withdraw its ambassador and end all military co-operation with Niger following a coup.
Gatekeepers News reports that this decision comes amid ongoing protests against the French presence in Niger and accusations of neocolonialist policies.
“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” Mr Macron said.
He added that military co-operation was “over” and French troops would leave in “the months to come”.
The military junta in Niger welcomed France’s decision, describing it as a step toward the country’s sovereignty.
“This Sunday we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger,” the junta said, in a statement quoted by AFP news agency.
Approximately 1,500 French soldiers have been aiding in counterterrorism efforts in Niger. Despite this withdrawal, the US, which also has over 1,000 troops in Niger, has not been asked to leave.
France’s move poses significant challenges to its operations against jihadists in the Sahel region, but Macron affirmed that France would not be held hostage by the coup leaders while speaking to France’s TF1 and France 2 television stations.
Mr Macron said he still regarded ousted Niger President Mohamed Bazoum, currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as the country’s “sole legitimate authority” and had informed him of his decision. He described the deposed president as a “hostage”.
“He was targeted by this coup d’etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice,” he said.
Niger is among several former French colonies in West and Central Africa where military coups have taken place recently-it follows Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Chad. The latest coup was in Gabon in August.
The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas), supported by France, has threatened military intervention to reinstate Bazoum, but no action has been taken thus far.
Niger’s military leaders told French ambassador Sylvain Itte he had to leave the country after they overthrew Mr Bazoum on 26 July.
However, a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military regime as legitimate.
Mr Macron’s statement also comes hours after Niger’s coup leaders banned “French aircraft” from flying over the country.
The decision to close Niger’s airspace to “French aircraft” adds another layer to the diplomatic tensions between France and Niger. Air France confirmed that it is avoiding Niger’s airspace in response to the ban. Meanwhile, the US has relocated some of its troops within Niger for security reasons and is negotiating the resumption of full counterterrorism and training operations.
This development signifies a significant shift in France’s influence in the region, where anti-French sentiment has grown in recent years, and Russia’s Wagner mercenary group has been accused of supporting some new military regimes.
