France Withdraws Troops and Ambassador from Niger Amid Coup Fallout

In response to the recent coup that deposed Niger's elected president, French President Emmanuel Macron has made an important decision to withdraw French troops from the country and recall the French ambassador.

This is a setback for France's African policy, as it follows similar troop withdrawals from Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years in response to coups in those nations. At the request of African governments, France had committed hundreds of troops to the region, largely to confront terrorist groups.

In recent weeks, tensions had been rising between France and the former French territory of Niger. Since the July coup, France has stationed around 1,500 troops in Niger. 

The French government had refused to remove its ambassador in response to the junta's demands, claiming that they did not accept the authority of the coup leaders.

In a publicly broadcast interview, Macron disclosed that he had spoken with deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum and told him that France had decided to reassign its ambassador and stop military cooperation with the Niger government. By the end of the year, the gradual troop withdrawal is anticipated to be finished.

Macron stressed that the French military was in Niger at the time at the request of the Nigerien government.

Since the coup, France and Niger's military cooperation has been suspended. The junta leaders alleged that Bazoum's government had not done enough to save the country against insurgency.

The junta gave Sylvain Itte, the French ambassador, a 48-hour deadline to leave in August. His diplomatic immunity was taken away by the coup leaders after France missed its deadline to recall him. Sanctions are currently being imposed on the junta by Western and African regional countries.

The military government that took over in Niger accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of impeding Niger's full participation in the event at the annual United Nations summit of world leaders in New York. They said that this was accomplished to please France and its allies.