On Friday, France finalized the withdrawal of its troops from Niger, following an exit request from the country's new junta.
France is closing its embassy in Niger indefinitely as tensions between the two countries escalate.
This brings to an end years of on-the-ground military support against a decade-old Islamist insurgency in the Sahel region of Africa.
Initially resistant, President Emmanuel Macron of France announced in September that 1,500 troops would withdraw from Niger by the year's end.
The decision followed a full withdrawal from Mali completed in August 2022 and the end of military cooperation with Burkina Faso in February even as those countries faced worsening attacks from Islamist insurgents, Reuters reported.
However, President Emmanuel Macron said the country would continue to be involved in the Sahel - the vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert which has been a hot spot for violent extremism - although differently, AFP reported.
Niger had served as a crucial security ally for both France and the United States until the coup, utilizing it as a base to contribute to the regional struggle against groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and Islamic State.
These extremist groups have been responsible for thousands of casualties and the displacement of millions across the Sahel and beyond.
Analysts say the troops departure will leave a vacuum. It will "leave Niger and the entire Sahel worse off" in terms of overall counterterrorism efforts as Niger was seen as the last remaining Western partner in the decade-long fight against jihadi groups in the region," Ryan Cummings, director of Africa-focused security consulting company Signal Risk told AFP.
Relations between Niger and its former colonizer, France, deteriorated following the July coup, marked by numerous protests surrounding the French military base in Niger. The French embassy also faced an attack in the aftermath of these events.
BBC reported that France is closing its embassy in Niger indefinitely as tensions between the two countries escalate.
The embassy says it is "no longer able to function normally or fulfil its missions" due to restrictions imposed by Niger's military government.
Niger's military leaders have reportedly agreed on a plan for restoring democratic rule which will be presented to regional bloc ECOWAS for approval.
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