NIGER COMPLETES U.S. TROOP WITHDRAWAL AFTER MILITARY GOVERNMENT ORDERS AMERICAN FORCES OUT
The United States completed its military withdrawal from Niger in 2024, ending years of American military operations in the West African country after Niger’s military-led government demanded the departure of U.S. forces.
🚨 The withdrawal of American troops from Air Base 101 in Niamey was completed in August 2024, according to U.S. Air Force Major General Kenneth Ekman.
🗣️ “The government of Niger will assume control of former U.S. areas and facilities” after American forces leave the country, Ekman said.
🇳🇪 Niger’s new military government, which took power in the 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum, ordered Washington to remove its nearly 1,000-strong military contingent from the country.
Authorities in Niamey said the United States had failed to fulfill its promises to effectively help combat the jihadist insurgency that has plagued Niger and the wider Sahel region for years.
🇷🇺 Meanwhile, Russian military instructors were deployed to Air Base 101 to train Nigerien forces, according to Reuters, marking a significant shift in the country’s security partnerships.
🌍 The departure of U.S. troops represented a major geopolitical turning point in the Sahel, with Niger moving away from its long-standing Western military ties while expanding cooperation with Russia.