In a convoy travelling overland and probably headed for Chad, the first French soldiers left Niger on Tuesday, just as the United States said it would stop providing aid to the nation, which has been governed by a military administration since late July.
After taking over in Niger, the country’s generals immediately demanded that the French forces leave, and French President Emmanuel Macron made the announcement at the end of September.
Until now, about 1,400 French soldiers and airmen have been stationed in the nation to fight alongside Nigeriens in the fight against jihadists. Of these, about 1,000 are in Niamey and 400 are stationed at two forwards bases in the west, at Ouallam and Tabarey-Barey, which are situated in the center of the “three borders” zone with Mali and Burkina Faso.
According to an AFP journalist, a convoy of soldiers from Tabarey-Barey arrived in Niamey at noon on Tuesday together with big trucks transporting equipment and armored vehicles.
The French convoys’ eventual destination has not been made public, but according to individuals familiar with the situation, they should next travel 1,600 kilometres to N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, where the French Forces in the Sahel are headquartered.
“The first departures are taking place, in accordance with the planning and coordination underway”, AFP learned earlier from the French armed forces.
On Monday, another military source reported that a plane carrying French supplies and a first wave of priority military personnel (medical evacuations in particular) left out from Niamey.
The Niger government had promised that the French soldiers’ departure would occur “in complete safety” on Friday.
- “Coup d’รฉtat”
The military takeover of power on July 26 was officially referred to as a “coup d’รฉtat” on Tuesday by the United States, which has around 1,100 troops stationed there and a sizable drone base in Agadez (central Niger). As a result, the United States announced the withdrawal of almost $500 million in economic assistance.
“We are taking this step because over the past two months, we have exhausted all available avenues to preserve constitutional order in Niger,” said State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“Any resumption of U.S. aid will require steps” by the regime “to restore democratic governance in a timely and credible manner”, added Mr. Miller.
However, the US will keep its soldiers in Niger for the time being.
However, they would continue to keep an eye on the terrorist danger, according to another US source, even though these soldiers were no longer actively helping and training Nigerien forces.
- Dangerous Journey
Niger had developed into a crucial ally for French anti-jihadist operations in a region where armed groups connected to the Islamic State and al-Qaeda are pervasive after France’s departure from Mali and subsequently Burkina Faso over the previous 18 months.
The French are faced with a twofold logistical and security issue as a result of this most recent retreat.
Travel choices are restricted, if not dangerous, due to the possibility of anti-French protests as well as the presence of jihadists affiliated with Boko Haram and the EI (Iswap) in the Diffa region of eastern Niger.
Since the coup, Niger’s land borders with Benin and Nigeria have been blocked. Additionally, the Nigeriens have made it illegal for French military and civilian aircraft to fly over their country unless an exception has been made.
On the other side, borders with Algeria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad have been reopened.
France had covertly sent armoured vehicles and helicopters to the Niamey base to supplement the five armed Reaper drones and at least three Mirage fighter jets already present after forging a combat alliance with Niger against Islamist organisations.
All the equipment that the French army has no intention of leaving behind is present, including computer equipment, modular aircraft shelters, drone cockpits, and engineering bulldozers.
