France ends in embarrassment. Two months after the coup in Niger, it withdraws its troops and ambassador Macron | Time | Ambassador

After two months of confrontation with Niger’s military regime, Macron blinked first.

French President Macron announced on the 24th that France would recall its ambassador to Niger and end its military presence in the country. This means that all 1,500 troops stationed there will be withdrawn to France before the end of this year.

The outside world believes that since the military coup in Niger, Macron has changed his previous tough attitude and made the latest decision due to factors such as heightened tensions.

As a major hub for France in West Africa, the coup in Niger undoubtedly dealt France a blow. Now facing the embarrassing situation of being forced to withdraw its troops, France's influence in West Africa has declined.

Comprehensive, "Global Times" reported that on the evening of the 24th, Macron said in a TV interview that France assisted in the fight against terrorism at the request of regional countries. Now that the "de facto regime in Niger" is no longer willing to fight against terrorism, France has ended this military cooperation.

"We will consult with the coup soldiers because we want things to go smoothly."

Currently, France has about 1,500 troops stationed in Niger. France will begin withdrawing its troops in the coming weeks and will complete the withdrawal by the end of this year.

Macron also announced that the French ambassador to Niger will return to France "in the next few hours."

Macron also said France would continue to work with Africa to fight terrorism if the democratically elected regimes of African countries or regional organizations request it.

Compared with previous strict rejections, Macron’s latest decision is a 180-degree turn.

On July 26, a sudden military coup occurred in Niger. Some soldiers from Niger's presidential guard detained President Bazoum. Late that night, military representatives from the coup announced the establishment of a National Committee for the Defense of the Motherland, removed President Bazoum from power, and allowed the military regime to take over national affairs.

On August 10, the coup soldiers announced the establishment of a new government.

However, France does not recognize the coup authorities in Niger and is dismissive of the Niger military regime's expulsion order.

Last month, the Niger military regime asked the French garrison to withdraw by September 3 at the latest and ordered the expulsion of the French ambassador to Niger, but France refused.

When attending the G20 summit in New Delhi this month, Macron also told the media that if France wanted to adjust its military presence in Niger, France could only coordinate with the legitimate government of Niger, not the coup soldiers. But the latest decision apparently overturns that claim.

In the eyes of the outside world, after two months of wrestling with Niger's military regime, Macron's choice to withdraw his troops and ambassador was tantamount to giving in.

The so-called situation is stronger than people. For France, the changes in the past two months may mean that the tide is over and adjustments must be made.

After the coup in Niger in July, France once supported the Economic Community of West African States in using force against Niger and tried to reinstate Bazoum through military intervention.

However, as regional countries have supported the coup soldiers, neither ECOWAS nor France have taken any action so far.

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, the three coup countries, also signed a mutual defense agreement on September 16 to form the "Sahel Alliance" to deal with possible armed rebellion or external aggression threats.

At the same time, France is also facing pressure from Niger's military regime and popular demonstrations, exacerbating tensions between the two parties.

As early as August 3, the Niger coup soldiers announced the abolition of all military cooperation agreements between Niger and France.

Just before Macron announced his decision to withdraw troops on the 24th, Niger's military regime issued a statement stating that Niger would close its airspace to French aircraft and that aircraft from other countries would not be affected.

Anti-French sentiment in Niger is also growing.

In the past few days, in the capital Niamey, thousands of people who support the military regime have rallied and demonstrated near the French military base, demanding the withdrawal of French troops.

Under heavy pressure, the safety of the French ambassador to Nigeria has also caused concern. Niger's military regime has stripped the French ambassador of his diplomatic immunity after he refused to leave.

On September 15, Macron once described the embarrassing situation of the ambassador: food was prevented from being delivered to the embassy, ​​he was not allowed to go out, and he could only eat military rations... describing him as "like being hijacked."

According to Bazoum's assistant, Bazoum expressed to the French side his hope that French Ambassador Itay would leave to ease tensions.

Macron said on the 24th that he had informed Bazoum of the latest French decision.

In addition, some analysts pointed out that announcing the withdrawal of troops means that Macron has met the requirements of the Niger military regime and shows that it is adjusting its position towards the latter in order to increase the bargaining chips for future big powers in Africa.

Despite this, Macron did not relent. He still insisted on the 24th that France "will not be held hostage by the coupists" and will not recognize the legitimacy of the coup authorities. Even though Bazoum is being held "hostage", he is still the country's "only legitimate leader." He also revealed that he regularly talks on the phone with Bazoum, who is still under house arrest at the presidential palace.

On the same day, after Macron announced the withdrawal of troops, Niger's military regime issued a statement to express "celebration" and said that this was a "historic moment". "Imperialists and neo-colonialists are no longer welcome on the territory of our country and are fighting against each other." A new era of cooperation based on respect and sovereignty has begun."

Some commentators pointed out that Macron's announcement of troop withdrawal was a victory for Niger's coup soldiers, but it may be an embarrassment for the French.

Previously, after coups in Mali and Burkina Faso, France withdrew its troops from the two countries in August last year and early this year. Now, Niger has been added to the withdrawal list. This means that in just over a year, France will lose its military presence in three former colonies.

The end of the military presence in Niger is considered to be a particularly heavy blow to France.

After parting ways with Mali and Burkina Faso, Paris tried to form a special alliance with Niamey, making Niger a key hub for France in West Africa.

Now, the decision to withdraw troops from Niger means France will lose an important pivot in the Sahel.

At the same time, Niger has abundant uranium resources and was the third largest uranium supplier to France between 2005 and 2020. A stable uranium supply is of great strategic significance to France, a nuclear energy power. A weakened presence in Niger could also pose a challenge to France's supply of key resources.

Public opinion also believes that France's counter-terrorism operations, influence and strategic position in West Africa and even the African region may be disrupted and weakened due to successive coups in former colonies and the withdrawal of troops. Currently, France still has troops stationed in Chad, Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Gabon, but their scale and influence are much less than before. Some commentators pointed out that France’s era as Africa’s “gendarme” is coming to an end.

France itself is actually aware of the changes of the times. In a public speech during an earlier visit to Gabon, Macron said: "The days of French Africa are gone forever."

However, as the political situation and priorities on the African continent change, how France should respond to challenges and whether Macron can fulfill his promise of "making historic changes in Africa's post-colonial era" are even more worthy of attention.