NIAMEY/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Niger and the United States have reached an agreement on the withdrawal of American soldiers from the West African country, a process that has already begun and will end by September 15 , Niamey and Washington said in a joint statement.
Niger’s ruling military junta earlier this year asked the United States to withdraw some 1,000 soldiers deployed in the country as part of the fight against the Islamist insurgency in the Sahel.
Until last year’s coup, Niamey was one of Washington’s main allies in the West African region.
The agreement between the Nigerien Ministry of Defense and the Pentagon, sealed after five days of discussions, guarantees the protection of American soldiers until their departure from Niger and establishes procedures to facilitate the entry and exit of personnel American during this process.
“The withdrawal of American troops from Niger in no way affects the continuation of relations between the United States and Niger in the field of development,” it is written in the joint press release.
“Also, Niger and the United States are engaged in diplomatic dialogue to define the future of their bilateral relations,” it is added.
In the past, U.S. officials have expressed concerns about the arrival of Russian soldiers in Niger and Iran’s desire to obtain raw materials such as uranium from the country.
(Moussa Aksar in Niamey, Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart in Washington; French version Jean Terzian)
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