The last French troops are to withdraw from Niger on Friday, marking an end to more than a decade of French anti-terror operations in west Africa's Sahel region.
France said it would pull out its roughly 1,500 soldiers and pilots from Niger after the former French colony's new ruling generals demanded they depart following the coup on July 26.
It was the third time in less than 18 months that French troops were sent packing from a country in the Sahel. France has also closed its embassy in Niger this week.
They were forced to leave fellow former colonies Mali last year and Burkina Faso earlier this year following military takeovers in those countries too.
US soldiers
All three nations are battling an insurgency that erupted in northern Mali in 2012, later spreading to Niger and Burkina Faso.
But a string of coups in the region since 2020 has seen relations nosedive with former colonial power France and a pivot towards greater rapprochement with Russia.
French President Emmanuel Macron in September announced the withdrawal of all French troops from Niger by the end of the year, with a first contingent leaving in October.
The Nigerien army said last week their departure would be complete by Friday. The French exit from Niger leaves hundreds of US military personnel, and a number of Italian and German troops, remaining in the country.
➤Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
