New sets of French soldiers ready to leave Niger for Chad
The Military authorities in Niger have announced that another set of French military troops are set to leave the country for Chad in the coming days.
The second phase of the withdrawal would mark the halfway point of the French troops stationed in the West African country, according to colonel Mamane Sani Kaiou.
Last week, French military convoys began moving out of Niger, a withdrawal forced by the military junta that has dealt France another blow in West Africa’s conflict-torn Sahel region.
Speaking on the withdrawal, French General Eric Ozanne said a group of anti-terror troops that left last week had arrived in Chad’s capital N’Djamena and that the journey was smoothly carried out.
Recall that last month, France agreed to pull out its troops based in Niger by the end of the year, marking a definitive breakdown in military ties with its former colony amid a wave of anti-French sentiment in the region.
The military regime that removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power also declared in August that it has terminated the military accords with France, a decision that Paris dismissed as illegitimate.
The French ambassador to the West African country recently left Niger after he was expelled by the junta.
Niger hosts 1,450 French troops as part of a regional counter-insurgency force.
