France negotiating troops withdrawal from Niger
France has started talks with some Niger army officials over withdrawing some troops from the African country following a coup in July, Le Monde reported.
At this stage, neither the number of French soldiers involved nor the timing of their departure have been decided, Le Monde said, citing several unidentified French sources close to the matter.
The talks are not being held with putsch leaders, but with regular army officials with whom France has long cooperated, the newspaper said.
Following the coup, France, the former colonial power in Niger, said it would end military cooperation and cut all development aid to the country.
But Paris had so far rejected calls by the putsch leaders to withdraw the 1,500 French troops currently in Niger, saying it still regards democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum, currently held prisoner, as the country’s legitimate leader.
The French defence ministry did not immediately reply to a Reuters request for comment.
Tens of thousands of protesters gathered outside a French military base in Niger’s capital Niamey last Saturday demanding that its troops leave.
According to Le Monde, some French troops could be redeployed in the region, notably in neighbouring Chad, while others could return to France. But a withdrawal from Niger would be a blow to France’s influence in the region, after having had to leave Mali, where Russian mercenaries have moved in.
Niger has been a security partner of France and the United States, which have used it as a base to fight an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa’s wider Sahel region.
Niger’s junta-appointed prime minister has said that he expects French troops to begin withdrawing from the country soon.
Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine was speaking at a news conference on Monday (September 4) amid a large protest at a French military base in the capital Niamey.
“The government has already denounced the agreements that allow them to be on our territory. They are in an illegal position. And I think that the exchanges that are underway should very quickly enable these forces to withdraw from our country.”
Anti-French sentiment has been rising since Niger’s military coup in July.
However, relations soured further last week when France ignored the junta’s order for its ambassador to leave the country.
Niger has also cut military coordination with French forces that it had previously worked with to fight jihadist militants.
“If they won’t leave, we’re here. We’re going to stay, even if it’s 100 years, we’re going to stay here. We’re determined. And France will leave.”
At the news conference Zeine also said that talks with West Africa’s regional bloc were ongoing.
ECOWAS has slapped sanctions on Niger.
It also threatened military action as a last resort to restore constitutional order – prompting the closure of Niger’s airspace.
On Monday, Niger’s military leaders reopened airspace to all commercial flights, without immediately giving a reason for lifting the ban.
