The withdrawal of France's troops from Niger was expected to cause logistical headaches for the French, with few safe routes out of a region plagued by myriad militant groups. NIAMEY: The French army said on Tuesday it had begun withdrawing troops from Niger after being ordered out by the leaders of a coup that ousted the president and Paris ally.
A convoy of soldiers with trucks transporting equipment and armoured vehicles from western Niger arrived in the capital Niamey around midday on Tuesday, an AFP journalist saw. According to security sources, they are expected to head towards Chad via more than 1,600km of roads and tracks to reach the capital N'Djamena, where French forces in the Sahel command are based.The withdrawal was expected to cause logistical headaches for the French, with few safe routes out of a region plagued by myriad militant groups.Niamey forbids French flights over its territory.
It is the third time in 18 months that French troops have been sent packing by a former African colony, dealing a severe blow to France's influence on the continent and prestige on the international stage. Niger had in recent months been acting as a regional hub for French troops helping armies in the region fight Islamist insurgents.
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