US army exits African state
The US has concluded the withdrawal of its forces and assets from Niger, months after the military rulers of the Sahel country demanded their departure.
In a joint statement on Monday, the Pentagon and the Nigerien defense ministry said the US Africa Command (AFRICOM) Coordination Element, which included a two-star general officer and staff, has also left Niger.
“This process began on May 19 following the mutual establishment of withdrawal conditions and continued with the withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 101 in Niamey on July 7… and Air Base 201 in Agadez on August 5,” the parties stated.
The Pentagon had some 1,000 troops stationed in Niger, where it had built a $100 million military base in 2016 and relied on the landlocked state as a crucial location for its counter-terrorism operations in the Sahel region.
In March, the new government, which took power after ousting pro-Western President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023, terminated the defense agreement which, for over a decade, had allowed American soldiers and civilian contractors to operate there. The military leadership cited the US contingent’s failure to defeat the jihadist militants who continue to terrorize the Sahel as a reason for the decision.
Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine later said American officials had threatened Niamey with sanctions and warned against deepening relations with Iran and Russia.
In May, the US Department of Defense agreed to complete the pullout of forces no later than mid-September, having previously insisted on finding a way to maintain its military presence in the African nation.
“The safe, orderly, and responsible withdrawal was completed without complications by the mutually decided date of September 15, 2024,” the Pentagon and its Nigerien counterpart stated on Monday.
The departure of the US army coincided with the withdrawal of German soldiers from Niger late in August, ending an eight-year security mission. The EU state previously stated that it had no agreement on cooperation with Niamey’s military government.
Niger’s new leadership followed the leads of allies in neighboring Burkina Faso and Mali in severing ties with former colonial ruler France, forcing French troops to leave the country late last year. All three military governments have sought to develop defense cooperation with Russia as part of the Alliance of Sahel States.
