A total of 193 French soldiers have left Niger's southwestern Ouallam town for Chad as part of the ongoing withdrawals from the country, media has reported.
According to the report, the troops left their camp with 28 trucks, 24 armored personnel carriers and other support vehicles.
Neighboring Chad had agreed to provide a safe corridor for the French troops exiting Niger. The Chadian armed forces will escort the French convoys from the Nigerien border to the international airport in N'Djamena and to the Cameroonian border, to the port of Douala.
The pullout of about 1,500 French soldiers and airmen deployed in Niger began in early October. Last week, General Eric Ozanne, commander of French forces in the Sahel, said that the objective of withdrawing the soldiers by December 31, as announced by President Macron at the end of September, "will be met."
France deployed its military to Niger in response to the escalation of the jihadist insurgency since 2015. The French troops were stationed in Niamey, Ouallam, and Ayorou.
After July's military coup in Niger, the new authorities requested the withdrawal of French soldiers and the departure of the French ambassador. Multiple protests have occurred outside the French military base in Niamey since the coup, with demonstrators insisting that Niger's former colonial ruler end its military presence in the country.
According to Niger's military leader, Abdourahamane Tchiani, the French troops have failed to help the West African nation in countering terrorism. He also noted that one of the reasons behind the military coup was the authorities' reluctance to heed their views on the country's security matters.
French President Macron initially refused the demands of the coup leaders to withdraw troops and the ambassador, stating that only President Mohamed Bazoum, who was ousted on July 26, had the authority to make such a request.
However, in late September, Macron announced that both the ambassador and the French military contingent would leave the country. On September 27, Ambassador Sylvain Itte returned to Paris.