French President Emmanuel Macron made a momentous announcement on Sunday, sending shockwaves through France's African policy. In the aftermath of a coup that deposed Niger's democratically elected president, Macron declared that France would withdraw its military presence from Niger and recall its ambassador.
This decision marks a significant setback for France, echoing similar troop withdrawals from Mali and Burkina Faso after coups shook those nations. France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the behest of African leaders to combat jihadist groups.Since the July coup, France had maintained a contingent of around 1,500 troops in Niger and had steadfastly refused the junta's demand to remove its ambassador, citing its non-recognition of the coup leaders' legitimacy.Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, had been simmering in recent weeks.
Macron revealed the dire conditions of diplomats, who had resorted to living off military rations while confined to the embassy.In an interview with France-2 television, Macron disclosed that he had a conversation with ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, where he conveyed France's decision to recall its ambassador. He also firmly stated, "We will terminate our military cooperation with the Niger authorities." The gradual withdrawal of troops is anticipated to conclude by year's end.
Macron underscored that France's military presence in Niger had initially been at the request of the Nigerien government. The suspension of military cooperation between France and Niger had persisted since the coup, with the junta leaders arguing that Bazoum's government had failed to sufficiently protect the nation from insurgency.In August, the junta issued a 48-hour ultimatum for French Ambassador Sylvain Itte to depart. When the deadline elapsed without France recalling him, the coup leaders took the unprecedented step of revoking his diplomatic immunity.
Presently, the junta is grappling with sanctions imposed by Western and regional African powers.Adding to the international intrigue, the military government in Niger accused U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of obstructing the nation's full participation in the U.N.'s annual meeting of world leaders. They alleged that this was done to appease France and its allies, adding a layer of diplomatic complexity to an already fraught situation.