France has reversed its tough position regarding the coup leaders who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic in July. The country has now agreed to recall its ambassador from Niger Republic and subsequently withdraw its military contingent.
The colonial power expressed opposition to the coup leaders who ousted President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic in July 2023.
The nation additionally demanded the restoration of Bazoum to power.
France maintains approximately 1,500 troops in Niger as part of its counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region.
Following the coup, France initially declared that its troops would stay in the West African country despite tensions with the junta.
Additionally, it declined to acknowledge the junta, which had announced the severance of ties between Niger and its former colonial ruler.
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Furthermore, the military leaders of Niger had instructed the French ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to depart from the nation.
Despite an August deadline of 48 hours for his departure, the French government declined to comply.
However, during an interview on Sunday, President Emmanuel Macron stated, “France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours, our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France.”
He added that military cooperation was over, and French troops would withdraw in “the months and weeks to come” with a complete 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.
Macron reaffirmed France’s position that Bazoum was being held “hostage” and remained the “sole legitimate authority” in the country.
The president also revealed that Sylvian Itte was being held captive within the embassy.
“He was targeted by this coup d’etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice,” he argued.
