French foreign, defense ministers in Niger as Mali pullout nears

SMA NEWS – NIAMEY
Key ministers from France and Niger met on Friday as French forces revamp their mission in the Sahel following a planned pullout from Mali.
Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna and Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu arrived in the Nigerien capital late on Thursday.
They held talks on Friday with Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massoudou and Defense Minister Alkassoum Indatou, followed by President Mohammed Bazoum.
The visit takes place as French forces complete a pullout from Mali, placing the spotlight on Niger as a frontline state in the fight against extremism, and as the unstable region struggles with a string of military coups.
“We are here to show France’s commitment, at the side of the Nigerien government,” Colonna told a joint press conference. We are here to show France’s commitment, at the side of the Nigerien government. Catherine Colonna, Foreign minister said “We are here to respond as best we can to the needs you put forward.”
Niger, a deeply poor former French colony, is the focus of a French push that hopes to stem jihadism through security as well as development. It is one of the biggest recipients of French aid, receiving €143 million last year.
The two sides on Friday signed agreements for a French loan of €50 million and a grant of €20 million. France will also increase food aid to Niger by 66 percent this year, to 8 million euros, “at a difficult time for world food security” because of the war in Ukraine, Colonna said.
“If we don’t win the war of development, we will eventually lose the war against terrorism,” Massoudou said.
The French ministers were also to visit a base at Ouallam, north of Niamey, which oversees joint operations on Niger’s western border by several hundred French and Nigerien troops.