Tensions between France and Niger, a former French colony, have mounted in recent weeks, with French diplomats surviving on military rations as they are holed up in the embassy.
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00:00 French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday that France will end its military
00:04 presence in Niger and pull its ambassador out of the country.
00:09 This comes after the democratically elected president Mohamed Bazoum was opposed in a
00:13 coup in July.
00:14 Here to tell us more is international correspondent Annelies Borges reporting from Paris.
00:23 France is ending its military cooperation with Niger and withdrawing all its troops
00:29 from the country.
00:30 The announcement was made by French President Emmanuel Macron late on Sunday during an interview
00:36 during which he also said that the French ambassador to the country would be returning
00:40 home.
00:41 He repeatedly said that France's sole objective in the region was to fight terrorism and that
00:48 the authorities now in charge of Niger were "friends of trouble".
00:55 Emmanuel Macron insisting that all presence, all French presence will indeed be removed
01:00 from Niger as soon as possible.
01:02 Now the question is of course how they will do that.
01:06 Authorities in Niger had announced on Saturday that they would be closing the country's airspace
01:11 to all French aircraft and aircraft chartered by France.
01:16 Annelies Borges in Paris for Euronews.
01:19 [SWOOSH]