By John Ikani
The United States and Niger are in talks regarding the withdrawal of over 1,000 American personnel from the country, which has been crucial for regional counter-terrorism efforts, officials disclosed on Monday.
“Niger’s government, a military junta that ousted the country’s president last year, declared in March the termination of a military cooperation agreement with Washington,” noted sources, adding that the agreement for troop removal was reached last week, with plans for a delegation to visit Niamey shortly.
“We can confirm the beginning of discussions between the US and Niger for the orderly withdrawal of US forces from the country,” stated Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder.
Ryder specified, “The Defense Department is facilitating a small delegation from the Pentagon and US Africa Command to engage in the discussions.”
Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare echoed the sentiment, confirming the initiation of talks on the troop withdrawal and mentioning discussions held with US Ambassador Kathleen FitzGibbon.
In a related statement, Maria Barron, USAID’s mission director in Niger, affirmed continued cooperation with Niger, as outlined in the meeting.
Ryder clarified that as of now, there have been no alterations to troop levels in Niger, which plays a pivotal role in US and French efforts to combat jihadists in West Africa and hosts a $100 million American drone base.
Regarding future strategies, Ryder remarked, “The United States will continue to explore options on how we can ensure that we’re able to continue to address potential terrorist threats post-withdrawal.
