Nigerians Celebrate Sovereignty as French Troops Prepare to Withdraw from Niger
The French plan to withdraw its troops from the country by the end of the year was welcomed by the military junta in the Niger Republic as “a further step towards sovereignty.”
The celebration came shortly after Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, declared on Sunday that Paris will soon remove its ambassador from Niger and then, in the upcoming months, its military deployment.
The military rulers of the nation, who took control in late July after ousting President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, issued a statement in which they said, “Today is a historic moment that shows the resolve and determination of the Nigerien people. We commemorate a fresh step towards Niger’s independence on Sunday.”
Before the end of the year, the French troops and ambassador will depart from Nigerien territory.
Prior to Macron’s announcement on Sunday, the organisation in charge of ensuring the safety of African air travel declared that the military government of Niger had forbidden “French aircraft” from entering its airspace.
