The military junta in Niger has announced that the withdrawal of French troops from the country will commence on Tuesday.
Tensions have arisen between the two nations following a coup in July that ousted the democratically elected president, Mohamed Bazoum, who was an ally of France.
The junta has stated that they will provide an escort for the initial convoy of French soldiers departing from Niger.
The specific means of their departure have not been clarified.
Notably, land borders with neighboring Benin and Nigeria to the south remain closed, but borders with Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, which are also under military rule, remain open.
Approximately 1,500 French soldiers had been assisting Nigerien forces in combating militants affiliated with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
In August, the junta formally requested that the French troops leave, accusing them of attempting to reinstate President Bazoum through force.
Protests have been ongoing outside a base housing French troops in the capital, Niamey, for several weeks.
Initially, French President Emmanuel Macron had resisted the withdrawal of troops but eventually agreed to the request last month, indicating that they would complete their withdrawal by year-end.
Niger had been regarded as one of the West’s remaining allies in the Sahel region in the fight against terrorism.
France’s influence in the region has been diminishing following a series of coups in some of its former colonies.
Source-BBC
