The decision by France to withdraw its troops from the country is still being celebrated. But the good news doesn’t end there. Just recently, on October 4th, the French Armed Forces Ministry made an announcement that brought even more relief. They stated that the 1,500 French troops stationed in Niger would begin withdrawing from border areas “this week.” Plus, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, the French base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, will be completely decommissioned by the end of this year. This is music to the ears of the people of Niger and the military junta who’ve long called for France’s exit since the coup in July.
The decision to withdraw French troops from Niger was initially announced by French President Emmanuel Macron on September 24. This followed two tense months of negotiations and disputes between Niger’s new leaders and the French. The demand for the French troops’ departure came in the wake of rising anti-French sentiment in Niger, primarily triggered by the military takeover in July with the authorities firmly insisting on the withdrawal of the troops.
In response to this announcement made by France, the military government of Niger stated in a press statement that the troops’ departure will take place under “their conditions” and respecting “their interests”. This is a sign that Niger’s leadership is determined to have control over the withdrawal process. They also added that French soldiers based in Ouallam, in the country’s western border region, would be the first to leave, followed by those stationed in the French airbase in the capital Niamey.
With 1,000 soldiers based in Niamey and 400 in Ouallam, the withdrawal operation will not be easy given that Niger has been the center of French anti-terrorist operations since 2022 after its troops were forced to withdraw from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. Dismantling the French air base in Niamey will require more planning, as it is made up of hangars for aircraft, hundreds of containers of offices and command centers, as well as tanks, bulldozers, and other heavy equipment. Well, regardless of how difficult the process will be, the decision has been made, and the troops are leaving. French soldiers will most likely have to use overland routes to leave, with air routes off limits since Niger banned French aircraft from flying over their territory.
The withdrawal of French troops from Niger opens a gap in the ostensibly Western efforts to quell an Islamist insurgency that has raged for a decade. But, if they couldn’t halt terrorist attacks with their so-called military intelligence and might all this time, there’s certainly no purpose in them staying.
Meanwhile, the United States, which still has approximately 1,100 troops stationed in Niger, is weighing its options as France prepares to evacuate its forces. Speaking to reporters in Nairobi, Kenya, on Monday, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stated, “While we give diplomacy a chance, we will also continue to evaluate any future steps that would prioritise both our diplomatic and security goals.” He emphasised that Washington had “not made any significant changes to our force postures, and… we really want to see a diplomatic solution, a peaceful resolution to the crisis.”
Although the relationship between Niger and the United States has not deteriorated to the extent that it has with France, the Pentagon stated on November 7th that some US forces were being transferred as a precaution from a base in the capital Niamey to an air base in the Agadez region to the north. “We’ll do an assessment of what it means for France to… have its troops withdraw from Niger,” said Pentagon spokesman Sabrina Singh, “but right now, we’re just focused on continuing that move.” The US apparently restarted surveillance flights over Niger, which had been halted by the coup, on September 18, with other missions on hold.
As we follow the developments closely, it’s evident that this withdrawal has significant ramifications. It’s a changing of the guard in Niger, and we’ll be here to provide updates and insights into how this affects the region. Thanks for watching. Do leave your comments down below and don’t forget to like, subscribe and share this video.