French troops to begin Niger withdrawal ‘this week’
France will start withdrawing its troops from Niger this week, France armed forces said in a statement on Thursday.
The withdrawal follows an icing of relations between Mali and France since the coming into power of a military government.
“We will begin our disengagement operation this week, in good order, safely and in coordination with the Nigeriens,” the French military headquarters said on Thursday.
France is expected to pull out approximately 1,500 troops who have been stationed in Niger, in an operation aimed at stemming Islamist insurgency in the Sahel region.
It is unclear what impact the withdrawal will have on the security situation in Niger.
In September, France recalled its ambassador to Niger, with the government in Niamey forbidding French flights over its territory.
