Why Emmanuel Macron is pulling French troops out of Niger

When on July 26th soldiers from Niger’s presidential guard the leader they were supposed to be protecting, France insisted that it would not take orders from the new junta. When the coup leaders told France’s ambassador and its 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country to get out, the dug in its heels, citing a point of democratic principle. Emmanuel Macron, the French president, declared that Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s captive president, had been democratically elected and so France would recognise only his authority.But in an abrupt reversal on September 24th, Mr Macron announced that not only was France’s ambassador, Sylvain Itté, being recalled to Paris but all troops in Niger would leave by the end of the year. France, declared its president, would thus put an end to bilateral military co-operation with Niger.