French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will be ending its military presence in Niger and pulling its ambassador out of the country due a July coup in the West African country.
In response to Macron’s announcement, Niger’s junta said that the decision signals a new step towards the sovereignty” of the country.
“Imperialist and neo-colonialist forces are no longer welcome on our national territory. The new era of cooperation, based on mutual respect and sovereignty is already underway,” it said in a statement.
Rising tensions between France and Niger
Since the July coup, France has maintained around 1,500 troops in Niger and even refused an order by Niger’s junta to remove its ambassador, saying that France didn’t recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.
Macron’s announcement came after the coup leaders said they were shutting down Niger’s airspace to French planes, commercial and military, so that the new leadership could “retake total control of its skies and its territory. Their decision did not apply to any other international aircraft.
Macron recently said that French diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy amid rising tensions between France and Niger.
Deposed President Mohamed Bazoum’s request to Macron
Ali Sekou Ramadan, an aide to Niger’s deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, said that Bazoum requested that Macron withdraw the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, “in order to reduce tension.”
In an interview with the France-2 and TF1 television networks, Macron said he spoke to Bazoum on Sunday and told him that “France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France.”
He added, “And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities because they don’t want to fight against terrorism anymore.”
He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year, in coordination with the coup leaders ‘’because we want it to take place peacefully.”
He said France’s military presence was in response to a request from Niger’s government at the time. That military cooperation between France and Niger had been suspended since the coup, however. The junta leaders claimed Bazoum’s government wasn’t doing enough to protect the country from the insurgency.
The junta is now under sanctions by Western and regional African powers.
(With AP inputs)