This first group of troops, transported in trucks and armored vehicles, was escorted to neighboring Chad by the Niger’s Army, authorities said in Niamey on Wednesday.

In a press release issued on television, Niger’s Army called on citizens to cooperate with the movement of troops, which involved several hundred of the 1,500 French soldiers in the military contingent.

The troops stationed in the Ouallam region were the first to leave the country by land. Three special flights had already been registered at Niamey airport, two for the departure of 97 special forces elements and one for logistics.

On July 26 , a military junta in Niger called the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland announced on state television the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum, the suspension of all institutions, the closure of the nation’s borders, and a night curfew.

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