- The United States will withdraw its troops from the West African country of Niger.
- A corresponding agreement has been reached between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and the Nigerien leadership, several news agencies report.
- Diplomatic and economic relations between the USA and Niger are apparently to be maintained.
Until the military coup last July, Niger was the last democratic ally of European states and the USA in the strategically important Sahel region in West Africa, where Islamist terrorist groups are spreading.
The US military operates two bases in Niger, including one for drones that was built at a cost of more than $100 million. More than 1,000 US soldiers are stationed in Niger. Since 2018, the base has been used to combat the Islamic State and an affiliate of Al-Qaeda. Niger has been an important security partner of the United States and France.
Junta turns to Russia
Last year, Niger’s army seized power in a coup. The new rulers in Niger joined the junta in the neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso. They ended military agreements with former Western allies such as Washington and Paris, left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and sought closer relations with Russia.
Legend:
Members of the military junta demonstrated with parts of the population in the Nigerien capital Niamey on April 13, 2024 for the withdrawal of American troops from the country.
Keystone/EPA/ISSIFOU DJIBO
In mid-April, 100 Russian military trainers landed in the country. They are supposed to install an air defense system there and train the Nigerien soldiers in how to use it,
Eight coups in West and Central Africa in four years have raised growing concerns about democratic decline in the region.