The National Council of Niger says the presence of French forces in the country is not welcome

  The presence of French forces in Niger is unacceptable. This has been stated by the National Council for the Protection of the Country of Niger (CNSP) in its statement regarding the French announcement to withdraw its troops from the African country. On Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron said that his country will plan the withdrawal of its troops from Niger in the coming weeks or months, adding that all troops will have returned home by the end of 2023. Niger's government has said in a statement that, "Anyone whoever threatens the interests of our country must leave the land of our ancestors, whether they want it or not.

Imperialist and neo-colonial forces are not welcome in our national territory." Niger, which was a French colony, was the last ally of Western nations in the Sahel before the military coup. France has about 1,500 troops in Niger, most of whom are stationed at the country's military base in Niamey. On July 26, a military coup took place in Niger, where President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown and detained by his own bodyguards, led by General Abdourahmane Tchiani. Following the coup, the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) suspended all cooperation with Niger and threatened military intervention if the rebels did not restore Bazoum to power.