Authorities from both countries stress that the process is now focused on the withdrawal of a base in Agadez
8 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The US military has completed the process of withdrawing its troops from an air base in Niger’s capital, Niamey, as part of a process launched at the request of the military junta installed in the African country following the coup d’état in July 2023, with a deadline of September 15.
Washington and Niamey have confirmed the end of the withdrawal of troops from Air Base 101 in a joint statement, following a process that began on May 19 with the signing of the agreement on the withdrawal process, which materialized with the takeoff of an Air Force C-17 from the facilities with the last troops present.
The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has highlighted in a statement that this base had hosted American personnel and assets “to help confront violent extremist organizations in the region,” while emphasizing that “effective cooperation” and “communication” between the parties had made it possible to ensure that the withdrawal took place “ahead of schedule and without complications.”
The withdrawal process will now focus on US forces deployed at Air Base 201 in Agadez, and both sides have reiterated their commitment to finalising the process in a “safe, orderly and responsible” manner by 15 September and have shown their commitment to ensuring the safety of US troops.
“The US State Department and the Nigerien Ministry of Defence recognise the joint sacrifices made by the forces of both nations,” they added. Washington had deployed around a thousand soldiers in the African country.
Military activity was already severely limited after the United States broke its cooperation agreements with Niger and halted, among other programs, the flight of drones, which is key to gathering intelligence and preparing attacks not only in Nigerien territory but also in other areas of the Sahel region.
The 2023 coup that ousted elected President Mohamed Bazoum and installed a military junta added Niger to a growing group of African regimes critical of Western presence on their lands and inclined instead to move closer to Russia, including deploying mercenaries from the Wagner Group, now known as the Africa Corps.
The military juntas of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger held a summit in Niamey on Saturday, which resulted in the signing of a treaty marking the birth of the so-called Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel States, a political, military and economic alliance with the primary aim of facilitating the “free movement of people, goods and services,” strengthening military cooperation and the possible creation of a regional central bank and currency.
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