The U.S. agreed Friday to withdraw its troops from Niger, The Washington Post reported.
U.S. has agreed to remove military personnel from Niger as confirmed by three U.S. officials, according to The Washington Post. This development follows a request from Niger’s government, which came after a military coup in 2023 that saw a junta come to power and declare the U.S. military presence “illegal.”
In a meeting between Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine, the U.S. agreed to withdraw over 1,000 troops, casting uncertainty over the future of a $110 million American air base. Officials will soon begin planning the withdrawal, aiming for an orderly and responsible exit, which will require coordination with the Defense Department, the outlet reported.
The United States informed the government of Niger on Friday that it agreed to its request to withdraw U.S. troops from the West African country, said three U.S. officials, a move the Biden administration had long resisted. https://t.co/wWYmgofSst
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 20, 2024
“The Prime Minister has asked us to withdraw U.S. troops, and we have agreed to do that,” a senior State Department official told The Washington Post in an interview. (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Video Claims To Show French Ambassador To Niger Forced Out Of A Building)
“We’ve agreed to begin conversations within days about how to develop a plan,” a senior State Department official said, according to The Washington Post. “They’ve agreed that we do it in an orderly and responsible way. And we will need to probably dispatch folks to Niamey to sit down and hash it out. And that of course will be a Defense Department project.”
The halt of security cooperation and U.S. military activities, including drone flights, has left American forces in limbo. Niger’s new partnership with Russia, marked by the arrival of Russian military instructors in Niamey to train and equip local forces with systems like air defense, has deepened the diplomatic stalemate, The Washington Post reported.
The shift away from U.S. ties has sparked local protests in Niamey, where hundreds have demonstrated against the American military presence. Despite these challenges, U.S. officials are optimistic about restoring diplomatic relations with Niger, according to The Washington Post.
Republican Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz published a report Thursday claiming that American military personnel stationed in Niger are at an “imminent risk” due to what he describes as a “concealment of intelligence” by the State Department. In the report “Unwelcome in Niger,” Gaetz claims that U.S. troops in Niger are at risk due to a lack of support from the State and Defense Departments.
The report includes statements from several service members, including a high-ranking enlisted officer, who say they feel abandoned and have been blocked from carrying out their missions and returning home after deployment. These troops reached out to Gaetz in April to voice their concerns.