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French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that France will withdraw its ambassador and diplomatic staff from Niger. He also said the French military presence in Niger's capital of Niamey will be fully pulled out by the end of this year. This came after Paris's refusal to expel a French envoy ordered by Niger's junta's at the end of August. The change in France's attitude is welcomed by Niger's military leaders, who called it a "step towards sovereignty".