President Macron says France will end its military presence in Niger and pull ambassador after coup

France to end military presence in Niger, pull ambassador out after coup. Macron spoke to ousted President Bazoum, said France will recall ambassador and end military cooperation. Tensions had mounted in recent weeks, troops had been stationed at request of African leaders to fight jihadists. Junta accused Guterres of obstructing Niger's U.N. participation to appease France.

President Emmanuel Macron announced on September 24 that France will end its military presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country after its democratically elected president was deposed in a coup.

The announcement is a significant, if predicted, blow to France's policy in Africa, after French troops pulled out of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso in recent years after coups there. France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.

France has maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn't recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.

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Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted in recent weeks, and Mr. Macron said recently that diplomats were surviving on military rations as they holed up in the embassy.

In an interview with France-2 television, Mr. Macron said that he spoke Sunday to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, and told him that “France has decided to bring back its ambassador, and in the coming hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France."

He added, "And we will put an end to our military cooperation with the Niger authorities.” He said the troops would be gradually pulled out, likely by the end of the year.