The ruling military council in Niger “immediately” cancelled the military cooperation agreement with the US, dating back to 2012, just a day after senior American officials visited Niamey for three days.
Amadou Abarry, the spokesman for the Nigerien government, said in a statement broadcast on national television Saturday evening that “the government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of the people, has decided, responsibly, to cancel immediately the agreement related to the presence of US military personnel and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense on Nigerien territory.”
Abarry pointed out that the US military presence is “illegal” and “violates all constitutional and democratic rules.”
The agreement, according to Niamey, is “unfair” and was “unilaterally imposed” by the United States through a “simple verbal memorandum” on July 6, 2012.
This move comes after the departure of a US delegation led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Fee.
However, the delegation that stayed in Niamey for three days “was unable to meet” General Abdoulkarim Tiani, the military regime’s commander, according to a Nigerien government source.
On Saturday, Abarry said that “the arrival of the US delegation did not respect diplomatic norms,” adding that the US government informed Niamey “unilaterally” of its arrival date and the composition of its delegation.
The United States deploys about a thousand military personnel and nine hundred civilians in Niger, stationed at a base in the north and involved in combat against jihadist groups, although their movements have been limited since the military took power.
