France might withdraw some of their troops from the African country of Niger following a military coup as calls increase to cut ties with the European nation that has imposed a hefty colonial and political presence over the nation.
The former French ambassador to Mali and Senegal told Al Jazeera that those talks are underway, according to his sources.
Niger soldiers executed a coup against President Mohamed Bazoum and the nation’s leaders on July 26 due to a reported dissatisfaction with economic, social, and security governance in the country.
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Coup ringleaders are demanding the immediate removal of all French troops from the country as well as the French ambassador after abandoning multiple military cooperation agreements and revoking the ambassador’s diplomatic immunity. The ambassador has refused to leave, and Bazoum, a French ally, is still in custody.
In response, France has refused to recognize the Niger government’s takeover but has reportedly “immobilized” French forces “since anti-terrorist cooperation was suspended.”
About 1,500 troops are stationed in Niger as they work to fight rebels in a nearby region. However, consistent protests have broken out among hundreds of Niger’s citizens who urge their country to sever affiliations with their former colonial ruler.
This is nothing new for Niger and neighboring nations that have been overthrown in military interventions which aim to jettison their “Françafrique” postcolonial ties. Military takeovers in Mali in 2020 and Burkina Faso in 2022 forced France to withdraw their troops to Niger. Now Niger is fighting back against that occupation.
After Niger gained independence from France in 1960, the nation suffered through numerous political revolts, droughts, and poverty. The country is still undergoing the lingering issues with slavery,…
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