Emmanuel Macron has said France will withdraw its ambassador and end all military cooperation with Niger following a coup.

“France has decided to withdraw its ambassador. In the next hours our ambassador and several diplomats will return to France,” the president said.

He added that military cooperation was “over” and French troops would leave in “the months to come”.

A military junta seized Niger on July 26, deposing President Mohamed Bazoum.

The decision follows months of animosity and protests against the French presence in the country, with regular demonstrations in the capital Niamey.

The move deals a hammer blow to France’s counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel and France’s influence in the region, but Mr. Macron said France would “not be held hostage by the putschists”, speaking to France’s TF1 and France 2 television stations.

There are around 1,500 French soldiers in Niger.

Source: BBC