France has initiated the withdrawal of its troops from Niger in compliance with the directive from the leaders of the July coup, which ousted the pro-Paris president, as confirmed by the French

military. The first group of soldiers, considered a priority for evacuation due to health or humanitarian reasons, had already departed Niger on Monday. The withdrawal process is being carried out under the escort of Niger forces.

This marks the fourth instance in less than two years that French troops have been compelled to leave a former African colony, following similar developments in Mali, the Central African Republic, and Burkina Faso. Initially, French President Emmanuel Macron had resisted the demands of Niger's coup leaders to withdraw French troops and the ambassador to Niamey, asserting that only the ousted President Mohamed Bazoum held the authority to make such requests.

However, in late September, President Macron announced the return of both the ambassador and the troops in response to months of anti-French protests. Ambassador Sylvain Itte had already returned to Paris on September 27. Photo by NigerTZai, Wikimedia commons.