France completes military withdrawal from Niger, leaving a gap in the terror fight in the Sahel

By CHINEDU ASADU
Associated Press

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — France has completed the withdrawal of its troops from Niger after they were asked to leave by the country’s new military rulers, ending years of on-the-ground support. The withdrawal completed on Friday has raised concerns from analysts about a gap in the fight against jihadi violence across the Sahel region of Africa. President Emmanuel Macron, however, said France would remain involved in the Sahel although in a different way. In West Africa, Niger was seen as the last remaining Western partner in the decade-long fight against jihadi groups that have seized territories, massacred civilians and battled foreign armies in the Sahel.