Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday evening the recall of the French ambassador to Niger, and the departure of the 1,500 French soldiers stationed there: the end of a dangerous impasse. France is being forced to wholly review its African policy.

France will leave Niger, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Sunday evening on French television.

It’s a return to realism — ever since the July 26 military coup in Niamey, France has been steadfast in its defense of its ally, President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been held by the coup plotters for nearly two months. This was untenable and ultimately counter-productive.

The French position was based on the legitimacy of an elected president, refusing the injunctions of a military regime which, by definition, runs counter to constitutional rules. Macron reaffirmed this firm position in his speech to French ambassadors gathered in Paris last month.

So, in his televised interview Sunday night, he finally announced the return to France of Ambassador Sylvain Itté, whose departure had been requested by the junta, and above all, the evacuation of some 1,500 French soldiers stationed in the country by the end of the year.

Why did he reverse course? Quite simply, it was clear that the standoff could not be won.

A delicate situation

With each passing day, this position became ever less salvageable. The prospect of regional military intervention was neither realistic nor desirable — adding war to instability cannot be the solution. This is clear, even if the countries of the region continue to push Paris for such a move, fearing a contagion of coups d’état.