NIger: France to leave, Junta says good riddance!
By Nfor Hanson Nchanji
Niger’s military junta has responded to a call by French President, Emmanuel Macron, for his Ambassador and troops to leave the Sahelian country.
In an interview on Sunday, September 24, 2023, Emmanuel Macron told the media, TF1, that “We are in Niger on the request of countries in the Sahel region to fight against terrorism. And when I talk about this today, I think of all our soldiers who have lost their lives in the Sahel, for the peace of this region and for fighting against terrorism. We received requests from Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to fight this war, and these operations succeeded because, without it, most of these countries would have been overpowered by jihadists or terrorists,” he said in the interview.
Emmanuel Macron said France cannot be blamed today for military coups because she doesn’t interfere in the country’s internal policies.
And he dropped the statement many Nigeriens were waiting for, ” France has decided to recall her Ambassador, our Ambassador, and other diplomats will come back to France..and the military will follow suit which will be organized in due course but this is the end of our military cooperation with Niger.”
A commentator said, ” Are the French military bases in Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, and Djibouti also there at the request of the authorities, or is it at your request to the respective authorities? Terrorism has found military bases in Burkina Faso and Niger. It’s only in Mali that the French army came in after the terrorism started. We have to get out of our countries.”
Niger junta celebrates victory
A few hours after Macron’s declaration, the military junta in Niger led by General Tchiani, said, the French will leave by the end of 2023.
The junta said, “Anyone, any institution whose presence is a threat to our interests and country’s projections, must leave our territory whether they like it or not,” a communique read.
The communique further stated that the departure of the “French junta” was non-negotiable.
“Imperialist and colonial forces are not welcome on our territory,” it said.
Two months of diplomatic tension
Since taking over power in a military coup on July 26, 2023, the military leader asked the French ambassador to leave the country and rescinded the military cooperation between the two countries, which would lead to the France military leaving. About 1500 French soldiers are currently in Niger but are expected to leave before 2024.
Since July, French Ambassador refused to leave but was left with no option after Niger leader ordered to cut basic supplies in the embassy and residence.
In return, France rescinded student visas and even stopped support study programs won by Nigerien students. The collateral damage of this tension was also extended to the French embassy after locals threw stones and sticks, breaking doors and windows. At least 6 were shot and wounded.
