US will leave Niger entirely by September 15th

In a joint statement, Niger and the US announced that they had achieved an agreement on the US forces’ withdrawal from the West African nation, which has already started and would be completed by September 15.

The United States was instructed to remove its almost 1,000 military soldiers from Niger by the country’s ruling junta last month. Niger had been a crucial ally of Washington in its battle against insurgents in the Sahel region of Africa, who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more, until a coup occurred there last year.

Following a five-day conference, the U.S. Department of Defense and the defense ministry of Niger came to an agreement that ensures the safety of American troops until their withdrawal and lays out steps to facilitate their admission and departure.

“The Ministry of Defense of Niger and the U.S. Department of Defense recall the common sacrifices of the Nigerien and American forces in the fight against terrorism and welcome the mutual efforts made in building up the Nigerien armed forces,” they stated in a joint statement.

“The pursuit of development-related relations between the United States and Niger is unaffected in any manner by the removal of American forces from Niger. In order to determine the course of their bilateral relations going forward, Niger and the US are also dedicated to a continuous diplomatic conversation.”

Speaking under anonymity, a senior U.S. military officer stated that roughly 100 servicemen had already been evacuated from the nation.
According to a different U.S. defense officer, the US will remove sensitive equipment from Niger but leave larger pieces like air conditioners, generators, and hangars.

According to the official, if the equipment still complies with legal requirements, the United States will permit Nigerien forces to utilize it.

The person went on to say that it didn’t seem like the Nigerien junta wanted to give Russian or Wagner private military firm forces control over counterterrorism activities.

“I think we tend to believe what they’ve told us, at least the CNSP, which is they’re not looking for any foreign forces in large numbers here,” the official remarked, abbreviating the name of the military council that rules Niger.

Following a conference in mid-March in Niamey, where senior U.S. officials voiced worries about issues like the anticipated deployment of Russian soldiers and allegations of Iran pursuing raw commodities in the nation, including uranium, Niger decided to request the withdrawal of U.S. troops.

Since then, Russian military forces have moved into an American-hosted air facility in Niger.