The United States has begun to withdraw American troops from Niger. This is stated in a joint statement by the military departments of the United States and Niger.
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“The U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger announce that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger has moved from initial preparation to implementation. This important transition began with the departure of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from 101 Air Base Niamey on June 7, 2024 “, the document notes.
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In addition, the statement emphasizes, “a small contingent of American troops arrived in Niger to provide logistical support to ensure the effective withdrawal of the remaining forces and assets from air bases 101 and 201.”
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“At the same time, some American military personnel have already redeployed from Niger to their home bases, since their mission was completed,” the military departments of the two countries indicated.
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Both countries are “committed to completing a safe, orderly, and responsible withdrawal of [US] troops by September 15, 2024.”
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“They emphasize their commitment to the protection and safety of American troops during this process,” the document notes.
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The US and Niger “express a shared commitment to continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest.”
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“The withdrawal of US troops will not have an impact on the development of relations between the United States and Niger. Both countries remain committed to ongoing diplomatic dialogue to shape the future of bilateral relations,” the departments concluded.
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An agreement on the withdrawal of the American contingent was reached in mid-May. Before the coup last year that overthrew Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum, the head of the presidential guard, Abdurahmane Tchiani, American troops provided training and intelligence operations for the republic’s troops. In March, Niger terminated a military agreement with the United States, according to which an American UAV base had been established in the north of the African country. The republican authorities indicated that the agreement was imposed and did not meet the interests of the people. At the end of 2023, there were about 1,100 US military personnel in Niger, most of them stationed at an air force base near Agadez.
