The U.S. military said on Monday it had completed its withdrawal from Niger.
The West African nation’s ruling junta in April ordered the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, in an embarrassing setback for Washington that followed a coup last year in the West African nation.
The US agreed in April to pull troops from key drone base in Nigér, subsequently, Military instructors and personnel from Russia’s defence ministry arrived in Nigér, signaling that the West African country is building closer relations with Moscow like its junta-led neighbours. The military instructors are bringing an air defense system and will train the Nigerien troops.
In May, the Pentagon issued a formal directive for the withdrawal of all 1,000 U.S. combat troops from Niger, marking a significant shift in the United States’ counterterrorism operations and its strategic stance in West Africa.
Before the coup, Niger had been a key partner in the U.S. fight against insurgents in the Sahel region of Africa, who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.
Washington is searching for a Plan B in West Africa but the process is slow and officials caution that U.S. intelligence is dimming on the fast-growing extremist groups in the region. The United States and France are actively exploring alternative countries to host their drone bases for counter-terrorism and surveillance missions. The coup in the West African nation has led to a significant reevaluation of their military presence in the region.
The U.S. withdrawal from Niger was carried out in phases, with U.S. forces and assets withdrawing from Air Base 101 in Niamey on July 7, and Air Base 201 in Agadez on Aug. 5. The U.S. military said on Monday the U.S. Africa Command Coordination Element, consisting of a two-star general and staff, has also departed from Niger, and that the withdrawal was complete by a Sept. 15 deadline.
The move disrupts longstanding counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region, where Niger, and specifically the U.S.-constructed drone base at Agadez, has been central to U.S. strategy. The base’s importance has been underscored since last summer’s coup, which saw the Nigerien military seize government control.
The U.S. presence in Niger has also served as a counterbalance to Russia’s expanding influence in the area. Following the coup, Russian military personnel, including those previously affiliated with the Wagner group, have been reported to be present at Base 101 in Niamey, where they have been co-located with American forces. While there is no immediate threat reported, concerns persist over the potential for these Russian fighters to engage in provocative actions against U.S. personnel.
“Over the past decade, U.S. troops have trained Niger’s forces and supported partner-led counterterrorism missions against Islamic State and al Qaeda in the region,” it said in a statement.
“The U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerien Ministry of National Defense recognize the sacrifices made by both nations’ forces.”
Their departure comes amid concerns about the growing number of extremist groups operating in the West Africa region.
Groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State organisation operate in the vast region south of the Sahara desert.
One of them, Jama’a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, known as JNIM, is active in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, and is looking to expand into Benin and Togo.
Despite the exit of American troops, a senior US officer told AFP in August that Washington still has “shared security objectives” with Niamey.
The next step is to listen to Niger’s needs “for a future security relationship with the United States,” said Major General Kenneth Ekman, who coordinated the withdrawal.