US to Withdraw All Forces and Equipment from Niger by Mid-Sep

The US is set to remove all its forces and equipment from Niger by the September 15 deadline under an agreement with the ruling junta.

US forces will leave a small base this weekend, with around 500 remaining troops departing from a critical drone base in August. The drone base, Nigerien Air Base 201 near Agadez, was built at a cost of $110 million.

Previously, the US had approximately 1,100 troops in Niger. The ruling junta ordered their expulsion following the overthrow of the country’s elected president last July.

An anonymous Niger government official told Anadolu that the US presence is seen as a major threat to the junta.

US Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman mentioned in an interview with the Associated Press that some small teams of US troops, including special operations forces, have moved to other West African countries, but most will initially relocate to Europe.

Additionally, the German army will end its operations at its airbase in Niger by August 31, following the breakdown of talks with the Sahel country’s junta, as reported by the German Defense Ministry.–News Desk