The Maltese president has warned that southern Europe could be in danger of being swarmed by migrants if no action is taken on violence occurring in Niger and the Sahel region in Africa.
On Sunday (September 24), Emmanuel Macron announced that France will withdraw its ambassafor and forces from Niger.
The move was met with satisfaction in the country, with a Nigerian transparency advocate calling it a “victory for the Nigerien people who fought for this”.
The decision comes just days before the MED9 summit in Malta, where the leaders of Italy and France, as well as other European countries, will meet today for talks focused on tackling the migration issue.
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France and Italy are set to present a joint paper on tackling illegal migration in the Mediterranean.
The meeting coincides with growing fears of instability in Niger and the Sahel region now France has announced its withdrawal.
There are fears that migrant numbers could increase further if instability in the Sahel affects North African countries.
“There cannot be stability in the southern neighbourhood if the Sahel is abandoned to its fate,” Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela told Politico.
The instability in the Sahel region has been added to the meeting’s agenda.
Although the withdrawal was celebrated by many in Africa, outsiders have been more cautious of the wider implications this change will have, for both West Africa and southern Europe.
Ghanaian political analyst Mutaru Mumuni Muqthtar said it was essential to consider the future of Niger which is one of the poorest countries in the world.
“The jubilation will be short-lived, because the country, at the moment, does not have the capacity to propel itself to prosperity, to stability, to ensure the sustained gains against the threats that it is currently dealing with,” Muqthtar told Deutsche Welle.
“The official disengagement of France would mean dire consequences for the region in terms of dealing with violent extremism.”
France currently has 1,500 soldiers stationed in the country to deal with the Sahel region, according to Macron.
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Macron announced the withdrawal of the French troops over the weekend
PAKabir Adamu, a Nigerian security and policy analyst said the situation could mirror Afghanistan, as non-state armed groups begin to rise in the country.
Alongside security issues, the country also faces problems with youth unemployment and frustration over the country’s poor economic situation.
Muqthar said that reducing their reliance on foreign aid will only make the existing problems worse.
“The military leadership is increasingly defiant and increasingly seeking to establish itself as an independent entity operating of its own accord without international dictates or regional partners' direction,” Muqthtar explained.
Elsewhere, migrants have flocked to the tiny Italian island of Lampedusa.
The island, which has an average permanent population of 6,000, has seen a surge of over 12,000 people in the last week alone.
GB News' Mark White has warned that a second surge of Lampedusa migrants will 'overwhelm' the Italian island, after more than 12,000 people made the crossing from Africa.
