Niger's rulers welcome news of French army pull-out
A supporter of Niger's National Council of Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) holds a sign that reads, 'Oh Allah see to it that Niger is the land on which France will forever be destroyed', as people protest ouside the Niger and French airbase to demand the departure of the French army from Niger, in Niamey on September 16, 2023. PHOTO/ AFP
What you need to know:
- The statement came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would soon withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by its military contingent in the coming months.
Niger's military rulers on Sunday welcomed the announcement that France will pull its troops out of the country by the end of the year as "a new step towards sovereignty".
The statement came hours after French President Emmanuel Macron announced that Paris would soon withdraw its ambassador from Niger, followed by its military contingent in the coming months.
"This Sunday, we celebrate a new step towards the sovereignty of Niger," said a statement from the country's military rulers, who seized power in late July by overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.
"The French troops and the ambassador of France will leave Nigerien soil by the end of the year."
The statement, read out on national television, added: "This is a historic moment, which speaks to the determination and will of the Nigerien people."
Earlier Sunday, before Macron's announcement, the body regulating aviation safety in Africa (ASECNA), announced that Niger's military rulers had banned "French aircraft" from flying over the country's airspace.
