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US withdraws troops from Niger
April 20, 2024, 12:59 p.m
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A military junta has ruled Niger since the middle of last year. This wants to get rid of the American troop presence in the country due to “condescending behavior” – and is turning to another major power.
According to media reports, the US government has agreed to withdraw around 1,000 military personnel from Niger in the coming months. This was reported by several US media outlets and Nigerien state television on Friday.
In doing so, the Biden government is responding to a demand from the West African country’s military junta. This canceled a military cooperation agreement with the USA in mid-March. Junta spokesman Amadou Abdramane justified the exit with “condescending behavior” and an alleged threat of reprisals from a US delegation. Previously, the agreement had allowed U.S. soldiers and civilian Defense Department employees to operate in the country.
The Washington Post wrote that the US government had resisted the move. The withdrawal will also change the attitude towards counter-terrorism in the region. The status of a US air force base worth 110 million dollars (around 94 million euros), which is only six years old, is also being called into question.
The Sahel region, which also includes the neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso, has become a hotspot for Islamist terrorism. In Niger, attacks increased after a military coup last year. The US viewed the base as an important means of combating terrorism. From there, unmanned drones took off for surveillance, among other things. Therefore the withdrawal is a significant setback.
Since the end of July 2023, Niger has been led by a military junta. Before that, the country was considered the last democratic partner of European states and the USA in the interior of the Sahel region. It has been a close ally against terrorism and illegal migration to Europe. The coup triggered a serious diplomatic crisis in the region. Neighboring countries such as Mali and Burkina Faso have also turned away from the USA and Europe and are moving ever closer to Russia. At the beginning of April, Russia sent Niger an air defense system and 100 military trainers.