Beijing, 23 Dec (Xinhua) -- The last French garrison withdrew from Niger on 22 December, ending years of military cooperation between the two countries.
The French Army General Staff told the Associated Press that the last French planes and soldiers left before the 22-day deadline set by the Nigerien side.
The end of military cooperation with France marks the beginning of a "new era" for Nigeriens, the military regime of Niger said through social **. "We are determined to meet the challenges before us by consolidating our country's military and strategic capabilities. ”
According to the Associated Press, Emmanuel Macron, France, said on the 21st that France will continue to participate in the affairs of the Sahel region of Africa, but in a different way, "I have decided to carry out some important restructurings."
Niger was a former French colony. The French army originally stationed about 1,000 troops at an air base near Niamey, the capital of Niger, and about 400 troops in the northwestern part of Niger near the border with Mali and Burkina Faso, with the mission of helping the former Niger** fight extremist groups.
On July 26 this year, some soldiers of the Nigerien ** Guard detained ** Mohamed Bazoum, announced the establishment of a national committee for the defense of the motherland, relieved Bazoum** of his powers, and let the military regime take over state affairs.
Nepal-France relations took a sharp turn for the worse after the change of regime in Niger. The Nigerien military regime expelled the French ambassador, Sylvain Itey, annulled all military cooperation agreements between the two countries, and demanded the withdrawal of the French garrison. According to previous Reuters reports, Niger's military regime has followed the example of neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso. After coups d'état in 2020 and 2022, respectively, France was forced to withdraw its garrisons.
In addition, anti-French sentiment in Niger was on the rise after the regime change, and the French embassy in Niger was attacked. In view of the fact that the French embassy in Nepal is unable to carry out diplomatic work, recent letters from the French side to local employees and statements from people familiar with the matter have revealed that France intends to close the embassy in Nepal indefinitely. (Liu Xi).