% of the population ages 14 and less
1. Niger: 49.5
2. Mali: 46.7
3. Chad: 46.2
4. Angola: 46.1
5. Somalia: 46
6. DR Congo: 45.6
7. Uganda: 45.6
8. Burundi: 45.1
9. Burkina Faso: 44.1
10. Gambia: 43.8
https://twitter.com/SonuMandel1/status/1739213534238794045
The embassy says it is “no longer able to function normally or fulfil its missions” due to restrictions imposed by Niger's military government. Local embassy staff have also been dismissed, former French ambassador Sylvain Itté said in a letter. This comes as the last French troops have left Niger after being ordered out by the country's military leaders.
France had more than 1,500 troops stationed in Niger to help fight jihadist groups linked to both al-Qaeda and Islamic State. There are concerns that the French withdrawal could worsen the security situation in the region, which is now witnessing increasing attacks by Islamist fighters.
The US, however, retains two military bases in Niger, where more than 600 American troops remain stationed. The US considers its military presence in Niger crucial to countering the growing influence of Russia's Wagner mercenary group in West Africa's Sahel region.