Recent news shows the start of the process of disengagement of French forces in the Sahel, particularly in Niger. This decision, announced by President Emmanuel Macron last September, involves the withdrawal of 1,500 French soldiers by the end of 2023.
The first contingent of French soldiers to leave Niger is made up of 400 soldiers currently deployed in Ouallam, along the Malo-Nigerian border. These soldiers were participating in Operation Almahaou, carried out in collaboration with the Nigerien armed forces with the aim of securing the Nigerien Liptako region.
Their departure will be by road, with the organization of convoys to ensure their safety to the Niamey air base, where they will then reach France by plane. Although the army general staff insists on the planning and coordination of this withdrawal, it remains to be seen how the Nigerien junta, which has expressed certain disagreements in recent days, will react to this operation.
The disengagement from the planned Niamey air base also represents a major logistical challenge. This base currently hosts a thousand French soldiers and numerous equipment and materials. While most personnel will be evacuated by air, part of the freight will have to be transported by road.
France must therefore find a logistics hub outside Niger to centralize the evacuated material before sending it back to France. However, the Nigerien junta does not seem ready to open its border with Benin to French military convoys, which further complicates the logistical equation of withdrawal.
This process of disengagement of French forces in the Sahel follows the rearticulation of the Barkhane force outside Mali, announced in February 2022. This reorganization took place over several phases and required numerous transfers of bases and equipment. In total, this involved more than 60 land convoys, 150 air convoys and 5 sea convoys, as well as the evacuation of more than 7,200 containers.
The withdrawal of French forces from the Sahel marks a turning point in the fight against terrorism in the region. It also raises questions about the future of security and stability in these countries affected by jihadism. It remains to be seen how local armed forces and international partners will be able to fill this void left by the departure of the French military.
In conclusion, the disengagement of French forces in the Sahel, and more particularly in Niger, is a complex process that requires careful planning and coordination with local authorities. However, it raises many questions about the security and stability of the region in the future. It will be interesting to follow how the situation develops in the coming months.