France will withdraw its soldiers from Niger after a coup in July, according to President Emmanuel Macron. This move will have significant implications for French influence and counter-insurgency operations in the Sahel region. Macron stated that 1,500 troops would be withdrawn by the end of the year and that France refused to be held hostage by the coup leaders. The exit of French troops is likely to increase concerns over Russia’s expanding presence in Africa, especially since the Russian mercenary force Wagner is already present in Mali, Niger’s neighboring country.
Macron has refused to recognize the junta as Niger’s legitimate authority but stated that Paris would coordinate the troop withdrawal with the coup leaders. He mentioned in an interview with French television stations that consultations would take place with the putschists to ensure an orderly process. Additionally, France’s ambassador will also be withdrawn and will return to the country in the next few hours, according to Macron. French influence in West Africa has declined in recent years, coinciding with a rise in popular animosity. French forces have been expelled from Mali and Burkina Faso after coups in those countries, diminishing their role in the regional fight against deadly Islamist insurgencies.
Niger was a crucial security partner for France and the United States before the coup, serving as a base in the fight against Islamist insurgents in the wider Sahel region of West and Central Africa. The French military base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, has become the focal point of anti-French protests since the July 26 coup. Demonstrators regularly gather there, demanding the withdrawal of troops stationed in the capital. In recent protests, tens of thousands of people rallied against France, even resorting to symbolic acts such as slitting the throat of a goat dressed in French colors and carrying coffins adorned with French flags. Pro-coup demonstrators in Niamey have waved Russian flags, raising concerns among Western countries that Niger could follow Mali’s lead and replace their troops with Wagner fighters.
Before his death in a plane crash last month, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of Russian mercenary group Wagner, spoke about expanding Russia’s influence in Africa. Wagner is active in several African countries, including the Central African Republic and Libya. Western nations suspect Wagner’s presence in Sudan as well, although it denies this. Russian President Vladimir Putin has called for a return to constitutional order in Niger. It is worth noting that French nuclear power plants source a small amount of their uranium from Niger, as France’s state-owned Orano operates a mine in the country’s north.
Macron still regards democratically elected President Mohammed Bazoum, who is currently held prisoner by the coup leaders, as Niger’s legitimate leader. He has informed Bazoum of his decision to withdraw French troops. These developments highlight the shifting dynamics in the region and the complex geopolitical challenges faced by France and other Western powers.