US to complete withdrawal from Niger amid terminated partnership
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A report by The Intercept published in late April revealed that US troops in Niger described living conditions as difficult, as they were left "stranded" with no access to mail or medication.
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Protesters react as a man holds up a sign demanding that soldiers from the United States Army leave Niger without negotiation during a demonstration in the capital, Niamey, on April 13, 2024 (AFP)
A US defense official informed Sputnik on Friday that the US will soon complete the arrangements for the planned, organized withdrawal of its forces from Niger.
"We’ve already announced the intent to withdraw from Niger. We expect meetings in the coming days to work through the logistics of how to conduct that withdrawal in an orderly manner," the official said.
Approximately 1,100 US personnel are currently stationed in Niger.
The process of their withdrawal began in March, after Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, a spokesperson for Niger's ruling junta, publicly denounced the US and terminated the "counterterrorism" partnership between the two countries.
Abdramane cited violations of Niger's constitution as the basis for revoking the agreement that allowed US troops and civilian Defense Department employees to operate within Niger since 2012.
At the time, the US had already agreed to pull out its troops hadn't provided a definite timeline to complete the withdrawal process.
"Washington initially wanted to negotiate the continuation of an air base, but the Nigerian government refused," Nigerien diplomat Ali Tassa told Al Mayadeen in late April.
A report by The Intercept published in late April revealed that US troops in Niger described living conditions as difficult, as they were left "stranded" with no access to mail or medication.
On May 6, local Nigerien news agencies reported that the country received new military advisors and military equipment from Russia.
Read more: Niger determined to expel US forces, diplomat says - Exclusive
