France is allegedly negotiating the withdrawal of its military components from Niger
The French military is in talks with Niger's army to withdraw "components" of its presence in the country following a coup, a defense ministry source said on Tuesday.
This suggests that France will be forced into a full military withdrawal from Niger after the July 26 coup that ousted French allied President Mohamed Bazoum. Some 1,500 troops are deployed in Niger as part of France's wider fight against jihadists in the Sahel.
It would be a clamorous humiliation for Paris which, among other things, would thus accept the installation of a hostile military regime in a territory it previously had a profound influence on. Yet another profound humiliation for President Macron and a France that, by now, seems like a shadow of itself.
The country had become a crucial center for France after coups forced the withdrawal of French troops from neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.
"Discussions have begun on the withdrawal of some military elements," a defense ministry source told AFP, requesting anonymity. The source did not provide details.
Earlier, a source close to Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told AFP that talks were underway to "ease the movement of French military assets" into Niger.
That source noted that French forces had been "immobilized since counter-terrorism cooperation was suspended" following the military takeover.
Relations between Niger and France, the country's former colonial power and traditional ally, deteriorated rapidly after Paris sided with elected Bazoum and declared the post-coup regime illegitimate.
On Aug. 3, the coup plotters renounced several military cooperation deals with France, including one with a one-month notice period, which expired on Sunday.
The prime minister of Niger, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, appointed by the military, confirmed on Monday that "contacts" were underway for a "very rapid" departure of troops from Paris.
However, Zeine said he hoped to "maintain, if possible, cooperation with a country with which we have shared many things".
French forces are mainly based at an airport near the capital Niamey, which has been targeted in recent days by thousands of protesters calling for them to leave.
The coup was seen as a new blow to French influence in the region following military takeovers in Mali in 2020 and Burkina Faso in 2022.
Late last month, a coup also overthrew Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, whose father Omar held power for more than four decades.
But France reacted more moderately to the end of the pro-French dynasty in Gabon, which lasted 55 years, than to the fall of its ally Bazoum.
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The article France is allegedly negotiating the withdrawal of its military components from Niger comes from Scenari Economici .
This is a machine translation of a post published on Scenari Economici at the URL https://scenarieconomici.it/la-francia-starebbe-trattando-il-ritiro-di-proprie-componenti-militari-dal-niger/ on Wed, 06 Sep 2023 08:00:27 +0000.