France in talks with Niger officials over troops exit

France has started talks with Nigerien officials over the withdrawal of "illegal" French troops from the country.

The Le Monde newspaper reported on Tuesday that exchanges were taking place with the Nigerien military who ousted president Mohamed Bazoum to withdraw certain French military units from the Sahelian country.

These talks took place a month after the denunciation of the military cooperation agreements between Paris and Niamey by the ruling junta amid mass rallies taking place with protesters calling for the French forces to leave.

Niger's prime minister: Contacts underway for 'very swift' withdrawal of French forces

The prime minister of Niger’s military government says the country is negotiating “very swift” withdrawal of French forces.

"Discussions on the withdrawal of certain military elements have begun," several French sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Le Monde.

“It is normal to discuss it insofar as anti-terrorist cooperation has been interrupted” since the July 26 coup, added one of them.

At this stage, neither the number of soldiers concerned nor the terms of this departure have been officially decided, but the principle is accepted, the report said.

Currently, some 1,500 French soldiers are deployed in the country, on three bases: in the capital, Niamey, in Ouallam, north of the capital, and in Ayorou, near the border with Mali.

Some units could be redeployed in the region, particularly in neighboring Chad, or be directly repatriated to Paris.

Until now, the French authorities had always rejected requests for the withdrawal of the French troops in Niger, contesting the legitimacy of the junta in power. Paris has also refused to recall the ambassador, Sylvain Itte, to the French capital. And, Paris has demanded the return to power of President Bazoum, with whom France's President Emmanuel Macron remained in contact.

'Maintain cooperation with France' 

Niger's newly appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine said earlier that "contacts" were underway about a "very swift" departure for Paris' troops.

The generals behind the coup renounced several cooperation agreements with France on August 3, including one with a month-long notice period that expired on Sunday.

Zeine nevertheless said Monday that he hoped to "maintain cooperation if possible with a country with which we have shared many things".

In a press conference held on Monday in Niamey, Zeine addressed critical issues concerning the presence of French troops in the country and the nation's pressing economic challenges.

Prime Minister Zeine began by discussing the status of French troops and ambassadors in Niger. He emphasized the government's stance on the matter, stating that "you could see the mobilization that there is; the government has already denounced the agreements which allowed them to be on our territory. They are in an illegal position."

Zeine expressed confidence that ongoing discussions would lead to the swift withdrawal of French forces from the country. However, he expressed disappointment regarding the French ambassador's conduct, noting that diplomatic attempts to resolve the issue had been rebuffed, describing the ambassador's conduct as "a behavior of contempt."

Regarding the security situation, Zeine commended Niger's defense and security forces for their efforts in safeguarding the nation's territory and the well-being of its citizens.

Turning his attention to the economic challenges facing Niger, Zeine revealed that the country faced a substantial debt burden. "Today we are at a stock of debts estimated at 5200 billion CFA Francs (7.92 billion euros)", he stated, outlining the composition of both external and internal debts.

The Prime Minister underscored the need to address the economic situation urgently and formulate strategies to mitigate the impact of this heavy debt load on Niger's economy.

Meanwhile, the French government has so far rejected the idea of ​​a departure of its troops deployed in Niger as part of its wider fight against extremist forces all across the Sahel region.

France's army, however, is holding "talks" with counterparts in Niger about "easing movements of French military resources" in the country following the July coup, a source close to Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu told AFP Tuesday.

“Exchanges (…) exist locally between soldiers to facilitate the movement of French military resources immobilized since the suspension of anti-terrorist cooperation”, the source said, explaining that for a month, drones, helicopters and planes have been grounded.

The discussions are only carried out between soldiers, not with the junta in power, the source said.

"Talks on functional coordination exist locally between soldiers," the source said, as French forces have been "immobilized since anti-terrorist cooperation was suspended" following the military takeover in Niamey.

The source did not give further details about the type, size or dates of troop "movements" taking place, nor did they mention any withdrawal of French forces.

Since the military takeover, anti-French sentiment has grown exponentially in Niger.

Over the weekend, thousands of demonstrators once more showed their support for the putschists, demanding the withdrawal of French soldiers from the mineral-rich African country's soil.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk