US agrees to pull troops from key drone base in Niger: officials
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The United States agrees to the demands of Niger's military junta to withdraw its more than 1,000 troops, according to officials.
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Supporters of Niger's ruling military junta, gather for a protest called to fight for the country's freedom and push back against foreign interference, in Niamey, Niger, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023. (AP)
Officials stated that the United States agreed to withdraw its over 1,000 troops from Niger on Friday, altering its stance in West Africa, where the country had a significant drone base.
According to US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to AFP, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed to the troop withdrawal during a meeting in Washington with the prime minister of the transitional government, Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
They reached an agreement for a US delegation to travel to the capital Niamey within days to facilitate an orderly withdrawal. Earlier, Nigerien state television had announced that the US officials would visit next week.
US troops in Niger
This comes after a US Air Force military official in Niger filed a complaint to Congress requesting an investigation into the activities of US embassy staff in the country. Additionally, a segment in the document filed by the officer included a request for assistance in withdrawing military personnel from the country.
Last month, the State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said that ongoing discussions between the transitional government in Niger and the United States examined the withdrawal of US troops from the African nation's grounds and the steps that would follow.
When asked about the possibility of concluding US soldiers' presence in Niger, Patel replied, "This is one of the things that we continue to be discussing with them [CNSP] and discussing next steps."
Before that, Niger declared an abrupt end to a longstanding military agreement with the United States in a fiery public address by the spokesperson of the Nigerien military.
The accord, which facilitated the "illegal" presence of American military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense within the Nigerien borders, was severed by Niger as being unfair and a tool used by the US to undermine the nation's sovereignty.
Tensions between the two nations escalated following the ascent of Niger's military junta to power in July 2023, an event condemned by the US as a coup. Subsequently, the US began withdrawing a substantial portion of its troops stationed in Niger.
