In a press release of less than ten lines, the French Ministry of the Armed Forces announced on Thursday, October 5 that it had formally begun preparations for withdrawing 1,500 French soldiers. These soldiers have been stuck in Niger since the coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26. The withdrawal is due to start "this week" to make it possible to bring all troops back "by the end of the year," the statement said.
This announcement comes just under two weeks after the French head of state, Emmanuel Macron, finally agreed on September 24 to the French soldiers' departure. The Niger coup leaders have been vehemently demanding this departure since the beginning of August. During the two-month-long standoff, Niger's new authorities organized a blockade of the bases where the French soldiers were stationed. This action has been gradually depriving the soldiers of water, food, fuel and electricity.
Paris gave no indication of how this withdrawal will be carried out. The Ministry of the Armed Forces insisted only that good "coordination" with Niger's armies is "essential to the success of this maneuver." This phrase alludes to the still tense relations between the coup leaders and the French authorities, despite Paris's resignation and the departure of France's ambassador to Niamey, Sylvain Itté, on September 27.
On Thursday, the Niger authorities issued a statement saying that the French withdrawal would have to take place on their "terms" and in accordance with their "interests." The coup leaders in power in Niamey specified that "the first ones to pack their bags" should be the 400 French troops based in the west of the country. That part of the country is the so-called "three borders" area between Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, where the Islamic State group is active. Only then will the Niamey air base be dismantled. This base is where the majority of French troops (around 1,000) are located.
This injunction should not disrupt French logistical maneuvering too much. This is because most of France's air resources are currently concentrated in Niamey. On the other hand, the junta's ban on using the road to Benin makes withdrawing more complex. Cotonou has for years been the port through which French military equipment has been transported in the Sahel. Cotonou was one of the main ports used when the "Barkhane" operation was dismantled in 2022. The French can take "any direction except Benin," warned Niger's new Interior Minister, General Mohamed Toumba, on October 4. "Your planes will be released at the last minute," he added.
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