(Niamey) The first French soldiers left Niger on Tuesday in a land convoy under local escort, possibly towards Chad, at a time when the United States announced the withdrawal of its aid to this country ruled since the end of July by a military regime.
The withdrawal of the French was quickly demanded by the Nigerien generals after their arrival in power and French President Emmanuel Macron announced their departure at the end of September.
Around 1,400 French soldiers and airmen have so far been deployed in the country to fight against jihadists alongside Nigeriens, including around 1,000 in Niamey and 400 on two forward bases in the west, at Ouallam and Tabarey-Barey, in the heart of the so-called “three borders” area with Mali and Burkina Faso.
A convoy of soldiers from Tabarey-Barey arrived in Niamey on Tuesday noon, with heavy goods vehicles carrying equipment and armored vehicles, noted an AFP journalist.
The final destination of the French convoys has not been officially communicated, but according to sources close to the matter, they should then head towards the Chadian capital N’Djamena, 1,600 km away, where the command of the French Forces in the Sahel is located. .
“The first departures are taking place, in accordance with planning and ongoing coordination,” the French armies learned earlier.
A plane with French equipment and a first group of priority soldiers (medical evacuations, in particular) also flew from Niamey on Monday, we learned from another military source.
The Nigerien regime announced on Friday that the withdrawal of French soldiers would take place “in complete safety”.
” Rebellion ”
On Tuesday, the United States, which has some 1,100 soldiers in the country and a major drone base in Agadez (center), formally described the takeover of power by the military on July 26 as a “coup d’état” and consequently announced the elimination of some $500 million in economic aid.
“We are taking this action because over the past two months we have exhausted all available avenues to preserve constitutional order in Niger,” said State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller.
“Any resumption of American aid will require measures” on the part of the regime “to restore democratic governance in a rapid and credible timeframe,” added Mr. Miller.
The United States, on the other hand, will keep its troops in Niger for the moment.
Another US official indicated that these soldiers were no longer actively assisting or training Nigerien forces but continued to monitor the jihadist threat.
Dangerous journey
After France’s departure from Mali, then from Burkina Faso, over the last 18 months, Niger had become the key partner of French anti-jihadist operations, in a region where armed groups affiliated with the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda are rampant. .
This new withdrawal presents the French with a double logistical and security challenge.
Travel options are limited, even dangerous, with the risk of anti-French demonstrations but also the presence of jihadists linked to Boko Haram and the West African subsidiary of IS (Iswap) in the Diffa area (east). of Niger)
Niger’s land borders have also been closed with Benin and Nigeria since the coup. And the Nigeriens prohibit the overflight of their territory by French, civil and military planes, unless exempted.
However, the borders were reopened with Algeria, Libya, Burkina Faso, Mali and therefore Chad.
After concluding a combat partnership with Niger against jihadist groups, France had discreetly expanded the Niamey enclosure, with armored vehicles and helicopters, which came to reinforce the five armed Reaper drones and at least three Mirage fighter planes already on place.
Computer equipment, modular shelters for aircraft, pilot cabins for drones and even engineering bulldozers are also on site: all equipment that the French army has no intention of leaving behind.