“Exchanges” are taking place between the Nigerien and French armies to “facilitate the movement of French military means” present in Niger, the Ministry of the Armed Forces declared on Tuesday, September 5. The generals who seized power and ousted President Mohamed Bazoum demand the departure of French soldiers.
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Paris-Niamey dialogue on the subject of French soldiers in Niger. “Talks” are taking place between the Nigerien and French armies about the withdrawal of “certain elements of the French military” in Niger, at a time when the generals who have seized power are demanding the departure of French soldiers, according to reports. on Tuesday, September 5, the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
“Discussions on the withdrawal of certain military elements have begun,” the ministry said, without specifying which of the 1,500 French soldiers deployed in the African country to support the fight against jihadism.
Some 1,500 French soldiers deployed in Niger
On August 3, the generals who seized power in Niger through a coup ended several military cooperation agreements with Paris. Since then, the French Armed Forces have stopped supporting the Nigerien military on the ground.
Consequently, “the question of the maintenance of some of our forces has been raised”, according to the French ministry, in particular the units in charge of maintaining equipment that has not been used in the field for more than a month, such as drones, helicopters and combat planes.
“Functional coordination exchanges are taking place at the local level between the military to facilitate the movement of French military means immobilized since the suspension of anti-terrorist cooperation” after the coup, the minister’s entourage had previously stated, without specifying the nature of these “movements”, their scale, nor how they would be carried out.
On Monday Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, a military appointee, said “exchanges” were underway to get the French soldiers out.
In a press conference, the politician stated that “the ongoing talks should allow them to withdraw very quickly.” However, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine assured that his government hoped “if it is possible to maintain cooperation with a country with which we have shared so much.”
France, a former colonial power, regularly reaffirms that it does not recognize the new authorities in Niamey, and for the moment keeps its ambassador and its military in Niger, despite the requests of the new authorities that have removed President Mohamed Bazoum.
France is present in a planned air enclave in Niamey, located inside a Nigerien military base, and in two outposts alongside the Nigeriens in the Triple Border area between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, known as a refuge for jihadists of the Islamic State organization.
with AFP
This article was adapted from its original in French
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