France has expelled intelligence officers from two West African countries in separate diplomatic disputes, underscoring the deterioration of its security relationships with military-led governments in the Sahel.
- France expelled two Nigerien intelligence officers in September 2026, following a separate dispute involving two Malian officers a year earlier.
- The Nigerien officials were assigned to their country’s embassy in Paris and left France after being declared persona non grata.
- The incidents highlight the deterioration of France’s intelligence and diplomatic relationships with military-led governments in the Sahel.
- Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have increasingly pursued alternative security partnerships, including with Russia.
The latest case involved two Nigerien intelligence officers assigned to Niger’s embassy in Paris, who were declared persona non grata on 16 September 2026 and left French territory three days later.
The expulsions follow a similar dispute involving two Malian intelligence officers in September 2025, bringing the number of officers removed in the two incidents to four.
The developments come as Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso deepen security cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States and strengthen relationships with Russia after distancing themselves from France.
The incidents illustrate how deteriorating political relationships have affected intelligence cooperation, an area in which France previously maintained close ties with several Sahel governments.
According to Le Monde, which disclosed the Nigerien expulsions on 8 October, the two officers belonged to Niger’s General Directorate of Documentation and External Security.
A French diplomatic source said their continued presence was no longer justified because intelligence cooperation between Paris and Niamey had ended.
A Nigerien source cited by the newspaper also alleged that one of the officers had been monitoring Nigerien opposition figures living in France.
The allegation has not been independently verified, and the available reporting does not establish that either officer was charged with a criminal offence.
France’s intelligence dispute extends beyond Niger
The expulsions follow a diplomatic confrontation between France and Mali in September 2025.
At the time, France ordered two Malian intelligence officials to leave after the arrest of a French intelligence officer in Bamako.
Malian authorities accused the French officer, Yann Vézilier, of involvement in an alleged attempt to destabilise the military government led by Assimi Goïta.
France rejected the allegations and maintained that the officer was an accredited member of its diplomatic mission.
The dispute led Paris to suspend counterterrorism cooperation with Mali, marking a further deterioration in relations between the two governments.
Vézilier was later sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Malian court before being pardoned and released in August 2026.
Although the Nigerien and Malian expulsions occurred under different circumstances, both demonstrate how intelligence relationships have become entangled in wider diplomatic disputes.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso reshape security partnerships
France previously maintained a substantial military presence across the Sahel, supporting counterterrorism operations and intelligence cooperation with regional governments.
However, successive military takeovers and disputes with Paris have led to the withdrawal of French forces from several countries.
France withdrew its military personnel from Mali in 2022 and completed the withdrawal of approximately 1,500 troops from Niger in December 2023.
Niger’s military government, led by Abdourahamane Tiani, had demanded the withdrawal following the July 2023 coup that removed President Mohamed Bazoum.
Paris subsequently closed its embassy in Niamey, although Niger’s diplomatic mission in France remained open.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have since strengthened cooperation through the Alliance of Sahel States, which they established as an alternative framework for regional security and political coordination.
The three governments have also pursued closer military relationships with Russia, which has expanded its presence in the region through Africa Corps.
The intelligence expulsions shows a broader deterioration in France’s relationships with governments that previously maintained significant military and security cooperation with Paris.
Niger’s military government has repeatedly accused France of supporting attempts to destabilise the country, allegations rejected by French officials.
The disputes have continued even as the governments involved seek to develop new diplomatic and security partnerships.