France closes embassy in Niger

PARIS — France has officially closed its embassy in Niger, the French foreign affairs ministry announced today.

The decision — a rare move that shows how strained the relationship between the two countries has become — comes after Paris was forced to pull out French troops from the African country after this summer’s coup.

"The embassy will continue to operate from Paris. In particular, it will maintain links with French nationals on the ground, and with NGOs working in the humanitarian sector, which we continue to fund for the direct benefit of the most vulnerable populations," the French ministry’s statement reads.

Relations between Paris, a former colonial power, and Niamey significantly soured after a military junta forcibly took power in July. French President Emmanuel Macron had continued to back the elected leader Mohamed Bazoum.

In September, Macron announced France would gradually withdraw its 1,500 soldiers by the end of 2023.

According to Le Monde, French troops had all departed as of December 22. Military equipment reportedly remains stored in Tchad, where France has a military presence, and will be brought back on French soil this month.

The withdrawal from Niger marks the end of an era for France — one marked by military interventions to fight against terrorism in the West African Sahel region. In recent years, Paris was forced to leave neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali, but has retained embassies in those countries.

However, the situation in Niger had become unsustainable, according to the government.

"For the past five months, our embassy has been severely hampered, making it impossible to carry out its missions: blockades around the embassy, travel restrictions for staff and the turning away of all diplomatic personnel who were due to travel to Niger, in clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," the ministry said.