US Completes Final Withdrawal Of Troops From Niger Republic Amid Rising Threats
The final closure occurs over a year after the leaders took power in the African nation.
The United States’ Army has closed its final base in military-controlled Niger Republic, following the demands of coup leaders for American troops to leave.
The final closure occurs over a year after the leaders took power in the African nation.
By early July, nearly 800 soldiers had already exited a base in the capital, Niamey.
Around 200 remained at the Agadez base in northern Niger.
The Pentagon, in a joint statement with Niger’s defense ministry, on Monday confirmed the “withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete.”
Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary, Sabrina Singh, reported to journalists that fewer than two dozen personnel remained in Niger, stationed at the US embassy and engaged in “administrative work in preparing for the completion of the withdrawal.”
Niger’s Air-Info news confirmed the departure of the last American forces from Agadez, noting a handover ceremony attended by officers from both countries. This ceremony concluded with the final US army plane’s departure.
General Kenneth Ekman, commander of US Africa Command Africom, previously announced the US troop withdrawal would be finished by early August, ahead of the mid-September deadline.
Niger, in recent years, has been crucial in US and French efforts to combat jihadists in West Africa, particularly since Mali and Burkina Faso’s military takeovers turned them hostile to Western forces.
The July 26, 2023, coup in Niger ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and pushed the new regime to align more closely with its neighbors, expelling French and US military presence. These three military-led nations have since established the Confederation of Sahel States (AES).
The US began its withdrawal in May, two months after Niger’s government ended its military cooperation agreement with Washington, deeming the US soldiers’ presence “illegal.” General Ekman emphasized that the US will continue collaborating with other nations, like Ivory Coast, which face extremist threats.
Niger’s regime under General Abdourahamane Tiani is reevaluating its foreign policy, aiming for “sovereignty.”
The country has increasingly leaned toward Russia, which has provided military instructors and equipment, as well as strengthening ties with Turkey and Iran.
For a decade, Niger has struggled with violent groups linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda, and it continues to face threats from Boko Haram and Islamic State’s West African faction.
Acled, a conflict tracking organization, reported that jihadists killed approximately 1,500 civilians and soldiers in Niger over the past year, a stark increase from 650 the previous year.
