The commander of France's forces in the Sahel says that 1,500 French soldiers would leave Niger by December 31, a timeframe announced by French President Emmanuel Macron late last month. "The big logistical flows will really start next week," says French general Eric Ozanne at a joint press conference with Niger's Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou in the capital Niamey, noting that 2,500 containers were due to be shipped out of the country. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES