In an interview with France 2, the French president confirmed the termination of “military cooperation” with the African country, which consists of some 1,500 French troops and which will be withdrawn before the end of the year. In addition, Macron also announced the withdrawal of the French ambassador in Niamey.
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“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador and end its military cooperation with Niger,” mentioned the French head of state, underlining that the presence of the more than a thousand soldiers in Niger territory was the result of a request from the ousted president, Mohammed. Bazoum.
Last July, the former French colony experienced a coup d’état commanded by an army leadership that was dissatisfied with the mandate of Bazoum, who has been held in the presidential house of Niger since he began the insurrection.
Since that date, the military junta that governs ‘de facto’ in the country has not had international recognition from some foreign governments, especially from Paris, which have advocated on multiple occasions for the reestablishment of “constitutional order”, as well as refusing to establish relations of any kind with the coup plotters.
In August, the military junta announced a 48-hour deadline for the French ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to leave the territory. When the date expired, the representative of the French State in the African country would be revoked of his diplomatic immunity, so the French representation decided to confine itself to the embassy.
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