The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has reacted to the decision of the Nigerien government to send French soldiers away from the country.
The last French troops deployed to Niger to help fight a decade-old Islamist insurgency in the Sahel left the country last December, sealing a withdrawal that dealt a further blow to France’s influence in West Africa.
Army officers who seized power in Niger in July made France’s military exit one of their key demands, echoing juntas in neighbouring Burkina Faso and Mali who severed long-standing security ties with France after coups in 2020-2022.
Responding to the question on whether the withdrawal of the French soldiers has created doubts and concerns within the Nigerian military, the Defence Minister said the Niger military junta must have done what they deemed best for their country.
“First of all, the government of Niger asked them to leave. A responsible government will not ask troops to leave unless they have alternatives. That is our consideration,” he said at the Ministerial Sectoral Updates in Abuja.
“We believe they asked them to leave because they have alternatives that might be coefficient for them to work with.
“Certainly, the security situation in our neighbouring countries are a great concern to us but again, if they decide to take measures they think is better for them, we have to respect that and we have to continue to work together to ensure that security is enhanced in the region.
“So, we don’t see any gap. We’ve absolute trust that they have alternatives and they have reason for doing what they did.”
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