On Sunday, the US will withdraw completely from Air Base 101 in Niger

According to a U.S. general on Friday, the U.S. military will finish removing its people from Niger’s Air Base 101 in the capital on Sunday and will next concentrate on leaving a significant drone base in the upcoming weeks.

Following a coup in the West African nation last year, the ruling junta in Niger ordered the United States to remove its almost 1,000 military personnel from the country in April, causing Washington to face an embarrassing defeat.

Prior to the coup, Niger has played a significant role in the United States’ campaign against militants in the Sahel region of Africa, who had caused millions of people to be displaced and thousands of deaths. Although the process is taking a while, officials in Washington warn that American intelligence on the rapidly expanding extremist groups in the region is waning. Washington is looking for a backup plan in West Africa.

Air Force Major General Kenneth Ekman, who is in Niger to oversee the withdrawal, announced that a ceremony will take place on Sunday night to officially close Air Base 101 for the United States. In the nation’s capital, Niamey, the base is situated close to Diori Hamani International Airport.

“On that day, we will hold a combined ceremony to commemorate the departure of the final U.S. C-17 aircraft. “The former U.S. areas and facilities will be turned over to the Nigeran government,” Ekman stated via video conference.

Russia has sent military personnel to the same base as the United States is leaving, and they are conducting training exercises there.

According to American officials, there hasn’t been any communication between American and Russian servicemen at that location. Ekman emphasized that he has been assured by Niger that the military of the two countries will remain apart.

“A Nigerian interlocutor I spoke with earlier estimated that there were fewer than 100 Russian soldiers present. Additionally, he discussed how the Russians have informed them that they must return home after their training is over, according to Ekman.

DRONE BASE EXIT

Troops in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have conducted out coups since 2020, accusing civilian leaders of facilitating the advance of Islamist extremists. Juntas have broken defense pacts with US, French, and UN forces once they have taken control.

The military government of Niger has given the United States until September 15th to withdraw its forces. This includes withdrawing from a $100 million drone base close to Agadez in central Niger, which had supplied vital intelligence regarding organizations associated with the Islamic State and al Qaeda.

According to Ekman, the Air Base 201 withdrawal might be finished early and would probably take place the next month.

“Now our weight of effort flows to Air Base 201,” he stated.

When asked about morale among American forces stationed in Niger, Ekman said that it was “mixed” during his visits to the two locations that house American military.
“You get everything from laughter to tears when you have a session with airmen and soldiers,” Ekman remarked, highlighting the unpredictability that American forces have faced in the last year.

Given the years-long investment in military connections, U.S. military officials are hopeful that even when the U.S. leaves, there might be a way to retain some sort of future security engagement with Niger. “What’s happened here, in the long view of U.S. and Nigerian partnership, is really unfortunate,” he stated. “We have been working closely together to achieve shared security goals for more than 15 years. Thus, our objective has been to go in a responsible, timely, and cordial manner.”

He said the U.S. military is leaving the outposts undamaged but is withdrawing vital equipment, such as power generators.

“We would be closing doors that both countries need for the future if we left it in ruins, abandoned it in an enmity-filled manner, or damaged things on the way out. And our security goals remain intertwined,” he declared.