France completes military withdrawal from Niger, diplomatic missions closed indefinitely
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France on Friday completed the process of withdrawing its troops from Niger. Niger’s new junta (military) administration had asked France to withdraw its troops from the country. With the withdrawal of French troops, the ground military assistance that Niger had been receiving for years came to an end.
Experts believe this will disrupt the fight against jihadist violence in Africa’s Sahel region. The last plane carrying French troops left Niger on Dec. 22, in line with a deadline set by the military junta, the French military’s general staff told The Associated Press (AP) by email.
The country’s military junta severed ties with France after the coup in July. France announced this week it would close its diplomatic mission in Niger “indefinitely.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said during a visit to a military base in Jordan on Thursday that the country would remain involved in the Sahel. “We will continue to defend our interests there but our forces will not be there permanently, their presence will be reduced or limited,” he said.
Niger’s junta administration described the end of military cooperation with France as the beginning of “a new era” for the country’s people. “Niger stands strong and the security of our homeland will no longer depend on foreign presence,” the junta administration said on X (formerly Twitter).
Disclaimer: IndiaTheNews has not edited this news. This news has been published from PTI-language feed.
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