THE US troop withdrawal from Niger, as demanded by the West African nation’s military rulers, has commenced and will be completed by September 15 ‘at the latest,’ according to a joint statement released on Sunday.
The statement confirmed that both parties had reached a disengagement agreement, prompting the departure of American forces after Niamey declared their presence illegal. Approximately 1,100 American troops were stationed in Niger to assist in combating militant insurgencies.
In March, Niger’s military rulers criticised a 2012 security cooperation agreement with the US, describing it as ‘unilaterally imposed’ on the country. The recent disengagement marks the end of this contentious military presence.
Niger also expelled 1,500 French soldiers, accusing them of failing to combat insurgency despite a decade-long deployment. In September 2023, Niger’s military rulers stated that French troops had not succeeded in addressing the insurgency. French President Emmanuel Macron initially resisted but ultimately agreed to withdraw the troops, who left Niger in December.
Niger’s government claimed the US had unsuccessfully attempted to pressure it to sever ties with Russia, which has since provided military instructors and equipment to fill the void left by departing French and American forces.
