September 25, (THEWILL) – French President, Emmanuel Macron, has announced that France is imminently withdrawing its ambassador from Niger, followed by the French military contingent in the next months.
“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France”, Macron told French television in an interview on Sunday.
Macron added that military cooperation was over and French troops would withdraw in “the months and weeks to come with a full pullout” by the end of the year.
“In the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully”, he added.
Responding to Macron’s announcement, Niger’s junta said it 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.
France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger as part of an anti-jihadis deployment in the Sahel region. Macron said the post-coup authorities “no longer wanted to fight against terrorism.”
Niger’s military rulers have banned “French aircraft” from flying over the country’s airspace, according to the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation in Africa and Madagascar (ASECNA) website. It was not clear if this would affect the ambassador being flown out
The military junta had in August issued a 48-hour ultimatum to French ambassador Sylvain Itte, to leave the country after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) threatened military action to restore Bazoum, but so far, its threats, which were strongly supported by France, have not transferred into action.
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