The United States will withdraw its troops from Niger to implement the demand for military rule

The United States has agreed to the demands of the Niger government to withdraw more than 1,000 of its troops to end the presence of its long-standing drone base in Africa.

Apr 20, 2024 - 20:35

The United States will withdraw its troops from Niger to implement the demand for military rule

An American official who has spoken on condition of anonymity has said that the country's deputy foreign minister, Kurt Campbell, accepted the call to withdraw American troops from Niger, in a meeting he held yesterday Friday in Washington with the prime minister of the military government of that country.

According to the official, talks will be held in the coming days to discuss how the withdrawal of the soldiers will be done.

The official has continued to explain that despite the action being taken, diplomatic and economic relations between the United States and Niger will continue to exist.

The New York Times earlier on Friday reported that more than 1,000 US troops will leave Niger in the coming months.

Last month, the government of Niger announced that it had abruptly canceled a military agreement that allowed military personnel and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense Pentagon to be present on the country's soil.

Niger has been home to a large US air base in the city of Agadez, located about 920 kilometers from the capital Niamey, which Washington has been using for reconnaissance flights of its manned and unmanned aircraft and for other activities. The United States has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars for training the Niger army since it began its military operations in the country in 2013.

The long-awaited withdrawal of American troops from Niger marks a new regional success for Russia, which has increased its efforts to arm itself in Africa and support the military rulers in the neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso.

Earlier this month, Niger state media reported that Russian military trainers have arrived in the country with an air defense system and other equipment, following talks between military leader General Abdourahamane Tiani and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. ./