Macron says France to withdraw ambassador, troops from Niger

French President Emmanuel Macron has said that France's ambassador and its diplomatic staff in Niger's capital will be evacuated to France in the next few hours, while the country's troops will be leaving in the coming weeks and months.

“French military presence will come to an end by the end of this year,” he said, adding that military cooperation with the country was "over".

"In the weeks and months to come, we will consult with the putschists, because we want this to be done peacefully," he added.

France keeps about 1,500 soldiers in Niger.

Niger's military leaders told French ambassador Sylvain Itte he had to leave the country after they overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26.

But a 48-hour ultimatum for him to leave, issued in August, passed with him still in place as the French government refused to comply, or to recognise the military junta as legitimate.

Macron in the interview reaffirmed France's position that Bazoum was being held "hostage" and remained the "sole legitimate authority" in the country.

"He was targeted by this coup d'etat because he was carrying out courageous reforms and because there was a largely ethnic settling of scores and a lot of political cowardice," he argued.

The Sahel region has faced several coups in recent years, with military regimes replacing elected governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Niger.