Us Says After Coup, Troops Will Withdraw From Niger Bases This Weekend And In August
Ahead of a deadline set by the new ruling junta for September 15, the United States will withdraw all of its personnel and equipment from a small base in Niger this weekend, and the remaining fewer than 500 troops will vacate a vital drone base in the West African nation in August, according to the American commander there on Friday.
A number of small teams consisting of 10–20 American soldiers, including special operations units, have relocated to other West African nations, according to Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman in an interview. But initially at least, the majority of the military will be deployed in Europe.
The United States faces significant consequences from Niger’s coup last year, which resulted in the withdrawal of American troops. The reason for this is that the troops were compelled to leave a vital drone base that was utilized for counterterrorism operations in the Sahel, a large area south of the Sahara desert that is home to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.
Other West African countries desire to cooperate with the United States and might be receptive to an increased American presence, according to Ekman and other U.S. military officials. Although he did not specify the places, other officials from the United States have mentioned Ghana and the Ivory Coast as examples.
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