French military convoys have started withdrawing from bases in southwest Niger after the ruling military junta demanded their exit.
The troops were seen in pickup trucks and armoured personnel carriers driving through the capital Niamey on Tuesday.
The junta government said the movement of the troops would involve some of the 1,500 French soldiers.
They are expected to leave Niger via road to Chad using some insecure territories along the journey.
But a few dozen French servicemen however flew out of Niger on a military plane on Monday, Reuters reported.
In September France announced that it would pull out its ambassador and military presence from Niger after the coup.
France had stationed thousands of troops in the region at the request of African leaders to fight jihadist groups.
It had maintained some 1,500 troops in Niger since the July coup, and had repeatedly refused an order by the new junta for its ambassador to leave, saying that France didn’t recognize the coup leaders as legitimate.
Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted forcing Macron to make the announcement of pulling the troops out.
French troops are already exiting Mali and Burkina Faso since soldiers seized power there with the latest exit from Niger, a blow to France’s influence in Sahel region.
Source: Africafeeds.com
