foreign relations
A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through m ...
between
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
and
Niger
)
, official_languages =
, languages_type = National languagesFrench colonial empire, beginning with the French conquest in 1898. Niger obtained independence from France in 1960, and a history of French influenced culture and French language have been a point of commonality in the creation of a distinctive
Nigerien culture
The culture of Niger is marked by variation, evidence of the cultural crossroads which French colonialism formed into a unified state from the beginning of the 20th century. What is now Niger was created from four distinct cultural areas in t ...
from the diverse pre-colonial nationalities which make up modern Niger. France benefited economically from their time as a colonial power, and still relies on imports from Niger for elements of their economy.
Colonialism and decolonisation
Niger has maintained close ties with France, its former colonial power throughout the history of the Nigerien Republic. Following Niger's independence in 1960, France maintained several hundred advisers at all levels of Niger's government and military. In the 1960s, the
Military of Niger
The Niger Armed Forces (french: Forces armées nigériennes) (FAN) includes military armed force service branches ( Niger Army and Niger Air Force), paramilitary services branches ( National Gendarmerie of Niger and National Guard of Niger) a ...
was drawn entirely from Nigerien former members of the
French Colonial Forces
The ''Troupes coloniales'' ("Colonial Troops") or ''Armée coloniale'' ("Colonial Army"), commonly called ''La Coloniale'', were the military forces of the French colonial empire from 1900 until 1961. From 1822 to 1900 these troops were de ...
: officered by Frenchmen who agreed to take joint French-Nigerien citizenship. In 1960 there were only ten African officers in the Nigerien army, all of low rank. President Diori signed legislation to end employment of expatriate military officers in 1965, though some continued to serve until the 1974 coup when all French military presence was evacuated. As well, the French had maintained until 1974 around 1000 troops of the 4th ''Régiment Interarmes d'Outre-Mer'' (
Troupes de Marine
The (TDM, ) is a corps of the French Army that includes several specialities: infantry, artillery, armoured, airborne, engineering, and transmissions (Signals).
Despite its name, it forms part of the Army, not the Navy. Intended for amphibi ...
) with bases at
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
,
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);
,
Bilma
Bilma is an oasis town and commune in north east Niger with, as of the 2012 census, a total population of 4,016 people.
It lies protected from the desert dunes under the Kaouar Cliffs and is the largest town along the Kaouar escarpment. It ...
and
Agadez
Agadez ( Air Tamajeq: ⴰⴶⴰⴷⴰⵣ, ''Agadaz''), formerly spelled Agadès, is the fifth largest city in Niger, with a population of 110,497 based on the 2012 census. The capital of Agadez Region, it lies in the Sahara desert, and is also ...
. In 1979 a smaller French force was again based permanently in Niger.
Current economic ties
France-Nigerien relations continue to be close, with France as Niger's top export partner by value and the French government being almost entirely dependent upon Niger for
uranium
Uranium is a chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a silvery-grey metal in the actinide series of the periodic table. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons. Uranium is weak ...
to fuels its extensive nuclear power system. The French government developed large uranium mining sites in the town of
Arlit
Arlit is an industrial town and capital of the Arlit Department of the Agadez Region of northern-central Niger, built between the Sahara Desert and the eastern edge of the Aïr Mountains. It is 200 km south by road from the border with ...
, with France being a major contributor to Niger's net exports as large amounts of uranium are transported from Niger to France. (One source estimates that France receives 25% of their Uranium from Niger?). More recently, Niger criticized France for the agreement, arguing that Niger should retain a larger share of profits from uranium ore mining.
Diplomatic relations
While conflicts have developed and subsided between the two independent republics, France maintains a strong diplomatic presence in Niamey and several thousand French expatriates live across the nation. Niger in turn maintains one of its only 24 foreign embassies in Paris along with three Honorary consular offices (in
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
,
Lyon
Lyon,, ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Lion'', hist. ''Lionés'' also spelled in English as Lyons, is the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, third-largest city and Urban area (France), second-largest metropolitan area of F ...
, and
Marseille
Marseille ( , , ; also spelled in English as Marseilles; oc, Marselha ) is the prefecture of the French department of Bouches-du-Rhône and capital of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the camargue region of southern Fra ...
) serving a large expatriate and naturalised Niger born population which lives in France.
Mariama Hima, a former Nigerien minister of Social Development, served as an ambassador of Niger in Paris between 1997 and 2003.
In the wake of the 2023 coup d'état and the following
crisis
A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...
, thousands of Nigeriens stormed the French embassy. Its walls and gates were set ablaze and damaged after topping them with Russian flags. The demonstrators also called for an immediate intervention by the Wagner Group. The demonstrators called for an immediate intervention by the
Wagner Group
The Wagner Group (russian: Группа Вагнера, Gruppa Vagnera), also known as PMC Wagner ( «Вагнер», ChVK «Vagner»; ), is a Russian paramilitary organization. It is variously described as a private military company (PMC), a ...
. On 25 August the junta ordered French ambassador Sylvain Itte to leave the country within 48 hours.
More recently, France–Niger ties are showing some signs of deterioration. In August 2023, Niger denounced “cooperation agreements in the field of security and defense” with France by a decree announcing the end of the various military and defense agreements with France. Shortly afterwards, French president Emmanuel Macron announced it plans to end its military presence in Niger, with Macron stating "we are not there to deal with internal politics and be hostages of putschists." France does not recognize de facto leadership of Niger, maintaining that
Mohamed Bazoum
Mohamed Bazoum ( ar, محمد بازوم), is a Nigerien politician who is the current president of the Republic of Niger. He has been in office since 2 April 2021.
Before becoming President, he served as the President of the Nigerien Party ...
is the legitimate leader.
In December 2023, it was announced that France intends to close its embassy in Niamey because it is unable to carry out diplomatic tasks due to restrictions imposed by the ruling junta.
Cultural ties
Nigerien national culture, made up as it is of a diverse group of pre-colonial national cultures, has been greatly influenced by French culture. The French language continues to be the
official language
An official language is a language given supreme status in a particular country, state, or other jurisdiction. Typically the term "official language" does not refer to the language used by a people or country, but by its government (e.g. judiciary, ...
of the Republic of Niger. Cultural centers, such as the in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
and the in
Zinder
Zinder (locally, ''Damagaram''), formerly also spelled Sinder, is the third largest city in Niger, with a population of 170,574 (2001 census);
provide major institutions for the growth and promotion of French culture in Niger, as well as promoting Nigerien culture to a French audience. La France au Niger: Centres culturels franco nigériens Retrieved 2009-02-11 Niger is a founding member of the
Organisation internationale de la Francophonie
The (OIF; sometimes shortened to the Francophonie, french: La Francophonie , but also called International Organisation of in English-language context) is an international organization representing countries and regions where French is a ...
.
Resident diplomatic missions
* France has an embassy in
Niamey
Niamey () is the capital and largest city of Niger. Niamey lies on the Niger River, primarily situated on the east bank. Niamey's population was counted as 1,026,848 as of the 2012 census. As of 2017, population projections show the capital dis ...
.
* Niger has an embassy in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
File:Ambassade du Niger en France, 154 rue de Longchamp, Paris 16e 1.jpg, Embassy of Niger in Paris