President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday, the 24th of September, that France would withdraw its troops from Niger in the wake of the July coup, junta pressure and protests, significantly undermining French influence and efforts to fight rebels in the Sahel region, reports Reuters.
Macron has announced that 1 500 troops will be withdrawn by the end of the year. The move has raised concerns in Western circles about Russia’s expanding influence in Africa, in particular the presence of the Russian mercenary group Wagner in neighbouring Mali.
French President Emmanuel Macron has made it clear that
he does not recognise the junta as the legitimate authority in Niger
and still recognises the democratically elected President Mohammad Bazoum as the legitimate leader of Niger, and has informed the President of his decision, but the coup leaders are known to be holding President Bazoum in captivity.
In an interview with French television TF1 and France 2, Macron revealed that France will coordinate the withdrawal of its troops with the coup leaders to ensure an orderly process, revealing that
the French ambassador will also be recalled
and return to the country “in the next few hours”.
The French military base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, has become the focal point of anti-French protests since the 26th of July coup. Demonstrators have regularly gathered outside the base to demand the withdrawal of French troops stationed there.
During the protests, pro-coup protesters hoisted Russian flags, raising fears in Western countries that Niger could follow Mali’s example and replace its soldiers with Wagner’s fighters. But since Prigozhin’s death, the future of Wagner is uncertain.
Read also: Coup in Niger – why do locals want to see Russians in the country?