“Sahel: French forces begin their withdrawal from Niger”
French President Emmanuel Macron announced on September 24 the start of the withdrawal of French military forces from Niger. Today, the disengagement process begins, with the aim of repatriating the 1,500 French soldiers by the end of 2023.
The first to leave the country are the 400 soldiers deployed in Ouallam, along the Malo-Nigeria border. These soldiers were part of Operation Almahaou, carried out jointly with the Nigerien armed forces to ensure the security of the Nigerien Liptako region.
Organized into two combined arms tactical groups, based in Ouallam and Tabaré Baré, these French soldiers will reach Niamey by road. Their route, which is around a hundred kilometers long, can take up to two days depending on the condition of the trails. Once they arrive at the Niamey air base, they will be repatriated to France by plane.
The army general staff is not commenting on the junta’s recent comments which cast doubt on the technical coordination of this withdrawal.
The repatriation of the planned air base (BAP) of Niamey, where around 1,000 French soldiers are stationed, also represents a considerable logistical challenge. The majority of personnel will be evacuated by air, but the heaviest equipment will be transported by road.
Time is running out, the French army must leave Niger by the end of the year. It is therefore necessary to find a logistics hub outside the country to centralize the evacuated material before sending it back to France. Although the port of Cotonou in Benin is an obvious option, the Nigerien junta seems for the moment reluctant to open its border to French military convoys.
The logistics of the French withdrawal could therefore become even more complicated.
This withdrawal of French forces from Niger is part of a broader rearticulation of the Barkhane force in the Sahel region. Indeed, in February 2022, President Macron announced the rearticulation of the Barkhane force outside Malian territory. This process took place in three phases over nearly ten months, and required numerous land, air and sea convoys as well as the evacuation of thousands of containers.
The withdrawal of French forces from Niger is therefore an important step in this rearticulation and marks a new phase in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel region.
In conclusion, the withdrawal of French forces from Niger is a complex operation that requires careful planning and coordination with local authorities. While time is of the essence, the logistical and political challenges that arise make this process even more difficult. Nevertheless, this development in France’s strategy in the Sahel marks a new phase in the fight against terrorism in the region.