French President Emmanuel Macron has announced French forces will fully withdraw from Niger by year’s end, acceding to the junta’s demands after last year’s coup upended regional security strategy.
Around 1,500 French troops will pull out of their base in Niger, once a linchpin for counterterror operations in the Sahel. Their ouster comes despite Macron previously refusing the coup leaders’ timeline and insisting any exit must be approved by ousted President Mohamed Bazoum.
However, Macron has now bowed to the junta’s pressure. The withdrawal represents a setback to France’s military footprint in francophone Africa after similar departures from Mali and Burkina Faso following coups.
The reconfigured strategy shows how ascendant African nationalism is checking French influence. But experts worry the hasty exits may cede ground to militants linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State as bases close.
For Macron, preserving some security cooperation with the junta trumped trying to reverse the withdrawal. With France’s regional role diminishing, smarter burden-sharing is necessary as African battles continue against extremists.