All French soldiers deployed in Niger as part of the anti-jihadist fight will have left the country by December 22, announced the military regime that came to power through a coup in Niamey, the end point of a departure that had begun in October. “By December 22, all French soldiers as well as their logistical [equipment] will have definitively left Niger,” indicate the Nigerien armed forces in their press release.
It is the culmination of a deep divorce between France and Niger since the generals came to power in Niamey in a coup on July 26. They then quickly demanded the departure of French soldiers – some 1,500 deployed to fight against the jihadists – and denounced several military agreements concluded with Paris.
After a long standoff, France resolved to do so and Emmanuel Macron announced that the withdrawal would be completed before the end of the year. On Tuesday, December 12, the Nigerien army clarified that “the process of disengagement of French troops is continuing so far in a coordinated and safe manner.”
Breakdowns of certain Western partnerships
“1,346 French people and 80%” of logistical equipment “were disengaged outside our borders. To date, there are only 157 French soldiers left on our territory, including 75 logistics workers,” detailed Niger’s national television news, Télé Sahel, on Tuesday evening. A first convoy of French soldiers left the country on October 10.
Since the coup d’état which overthrew the elected president Mohamed Bazoum, sequestered in his residence, the Nigerien generals in power are gradually severing the links established by the deposed regime with certain Western partners. At the beginning of December, Niamey announced the end of two European Union (EU) security and defense missions, civil and military, in the country, at a time when the military in power welcomed a Russian delegation.
At the same time, Niger has been cooperating since the coup with Burkina Faso and Mali, also led by the military. The three countries are prey to jihadist violence. And after Mali in 2022, Burkina Faso and Niger also announced in early December their departure from the anti-jihadist organization G5 Sahel, today made up of Mauritania and Chad. Niger is affected by bloody attacks in its western and southeastern parts by groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Maintaining regional sanctions
Following a summit on Sunday in Abuja, other West African countries, united within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), maintained their heavy economic and financial sanctions imposed in Niger after the coup d’état, conditioning their relief on a “short transition” in particular.
The American Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, who participated in this summit, was in Niamey on Tuesday, at the head of a delegation which met with the Nigerien prime minister appointed by the military, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, according to Nigerien radio.
In addition, the new United States ambassador to Niger, Kathleen FitzGibbon, who arrived in Niamey in mid-August, will soon present her credentials to the authorities, the Nigerien foreign minister, Bakary Yaou Sangaré, assured in early December.
For their part, international NGOs operating in Niger called on Tuesday for a reduction in the sanctions taken by ECOWAS against Niamey, wishing to allow the entry of emergency humanitarian aid through neighboring Benin. They deplore that the organization has “failed to heed calls” from the humanitarian community “to ensure that civilians in Niger have access to vital aid.” According to them, more than 4.3 million people need urgent assistance in Niger.