French President Emmanuel Macron's announcement on September 24 that around 1,500 French soldiers would be pulled out of Niger after a two-month standoff with the

junta marks one of the most significant blows to the French army in the past decade. Despite prior warnings about the stability of President Mohamed Bazoum's regime, who was overthrown in a coup in July, few within the military establishment anticipated such a swift break, following the withdrawals from Mali in 2022 and Burkina Faso earlier this year.

"This signifies a turning point in history," remarked a former general now in the private sector, just days before the French military's withdrawal was announced. In late July, shortly after the Niger coup d'état, another disheartened officer referred to Alexandre Adler's book, "I saw the end of the old world." This represented a rare moment of disarray within military circles. The disappearance of France's presence in Africa was something they had hoped to avoid.

For years, the military establishment staunchly defended its commitment to Africa, backed by the government, all in the name of security concerns, including the fight against terrorism, corruption, human trafficking, and the prevention of large lawless regions from forming. Photo by Benhamayemohamed, Wikimedia commons.