Niamey

At least 94 people have lost their lives, and the number of affected individuals has exceeded 137,000 due to the floods that have struck Niger since June, according to an announcement by the Ministry of Humanitarian Action and Disaster Management of the Sahel state on Friday.

A West African leaders' summit opens on Sunday amid political turmoil after the military rulers of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso cemented a breakaway union at a rival meeting.

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday announced that Paris will end its military presence in Niger by the end of 2023, CNN reported.

He also announced that he has decided to bring back the country's Ambassador to Niger, Sylvain Itte, to France

The development comes amid high tensions between the two nations since the military junta seized power in Niger in July.

Algeria has offered the military that seized power in Niger a "six-month transitional plan" to restore constitutional and democratic order, instead of the three years they proposed, the country's head of diplomacy said, quoted by "AFP".

France's ambassador to Niger will remain in the country despite pressure to leave by the leaders of the recent coup, President Emmanuel Macron told diplomats on Monday, Reuters reported.

Macron also reiterated France's support for ousted Niger president Mohamed Bazoum, whose decision not to resign Macron called brave.

Niger's military junta has asked the French ambassador to depart from the country. The move further escalates the international crisis in the West African nation after a coup that deposed the democratically elected president, Al Jazeera reported.

Niger has authorized the armed forces of Mali and Burkina Faso to intervene on its territory in the event of an attack on the country, Reuters reported, citing a joint statement by the three African countries. This was reported by BTA.

According to the agency, this is a possible sign that Niger's junta plans to continue resisting regional pressure to back down.

The military regime in Niger has expressed readiness to resolve the crisis in the country through diplomatic channels. This is clear from a statement by the Nigerien religious mission. The leader of the regime, General Abdulrahman Chiani, said that "his door is open to explore the possibility of solving the crisis diplomatically and peacefully", BTA reported.

Thousands of Niger coup supporters took to the streets on Friday to protest against plans by West African nations to deploy a military force to the country, as a key regional meeting on a possible intervention was scrapped.

Özgür Çınar, Niger ambassador to Türkiye, has stated that the West African country, where the military junta seized power on July 26, is not currently the scene of an active conflict or clash, but quite intense waiting and uncertainty prevails.