Macron says Niger will host French, European troops after Mali pullout

President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday said Niger had agreed to host European forces fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel after France and its allies decided to withdraw from neighbouring Mali.

He also said the remaining forces would provide further assistance for countries in the Gulf of Guinea. "These states are increasingly exposed to efforts by terrorist groups to implant themselves in their territory," Macron told a press conference.