Niamey: The commander of Franch armed forces in the Sahel has said that 1,500 soldiers would leave Niger by December 31, Western media reported on Friday.
French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced the timeframe late last month.
The pullout, demanded by Niger’s military rulers, began last week after president Mohamed Bazoum, a key ally of Paris, was ousted in a military coup in July throwing France’s strategy for the Sahel region into disarray.
French general Eric Ozanne during a joint press conference with Niger’s Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou in the capital Niamey said the objective of presidential announcement of a departure on December 31 will be met.
282 French soldiers already left Niger
He added that 282 soldiers had already left the country.
General Eric Ozanne said that the two large convoys of military vehicles have already left from the northern region.
He went on to say that a number of convoys carrying “non-sensitive equipment” had started to leave.
The French general said these did not include armament or transmission equipment.
According to General Eric Ozanne the big logistical flows will begin next week noting that 2,500 containers were due to be shipped out of the country.
He said the operation is being handled by an outsourced civilian carrier and is totally transparent, especially for the local population, who will just see trucks moving out with containers.
The first French road convoy of troops departing from Niger arrived in neighbouring Chad’s capital N’Djamena on Thursday, after 10 days of road journey.
