Update
Failed mission in Niamey
Last Bundeswehr soldiers from Niger land in Wunstorf
30.08.2024, 18:11
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After the military coup in Niger, the German army initially wanted to hold on to its base in the country – but negotiations with the Niger government failed. Now the mission has finally come to an end: this evening, the last soldiers stationed there will land in Germany.
The German army has ended its mission in the West African country of Niger after eight years and has evacuated its air transport base in the capital city of Niamey. A military aircraft carrying the last remaining German soldiers landed at the air base in Wunstorf, Lower Saxony, in the evening.
The withdrawal from the air transport base in Niamey is now complete. The Nigerien and German Defense Ministries “announce the completion of the withdrawal of German forces and equipment from Niger,” Nigerien Major Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou read out a statement signed by him and German Colonel Karsten Struss. According to Kiaou, the 60 German Bundeswehr members and 146 tons of equipment were flown out on five cargo planes.
After the expiration of the previous stationing agreement for the Niamey base, Germany had initially agreed an interim agreement with Niger. It was limited to August 31. However, the Niger government’s most recent proposal for a new stationing agreement was deemed completely inadequate in Berlin. A key point was that the stationed personnel did not enjoy immunity from prosecution as before.
Withdrawal marks another setback
The withdrawal does not mark the end of military cooperation between Niger and Germany, “in fact, both sides have committed to maintaining their relations in the military field,” said Kiaou. However, the German Defense Ministry announced the end of such cooperation at the beginning of July.
The military in Niger overthrew the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in July last year. The governments of the three Sahel states of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which are characterized by poverty and instability, have recently turned increasingly away from the West and towards Russia. The Bundeswehr allowed its long-standing commitment in Mali to expire last year. The loss of the base in Niger is a further setback for Germany’s presence in the Sahel region.