The German army will cease operations at its air base in Niger by August 31, following unsuccessful negotiations with the Sahel country’s ruling junta, Germany’s defense ministry announced on Saturday.
All Bundeswehr soldiers stationed at the base will be withdrawn by the deadline, and German military cooperation with Niger will end, the ministry stated.
This development is part of Niger’s ongoing diplomatic shift away from the West since the July 2023 coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum and brought the current military regime to power.
Since then, Niger has aligned more closely with Russia and Iran, distancing itself from the United States and former colonial ruler France.
Similar shifts have occurred in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, which are also governed by military leaders and face violence from jihadi groups.
In late May, Germany and Niger had reached an interim agreement allowing the Bundeswehr to continue operating the air transport base in Niamey until the end of August.
However, negotiations to extend that agreement failed, partly because the base’s personnel would no longer be granted immunity from prosecution.
Recently, only 38 Bundeswehr soldiers were stationed at the base, along with 33 staff from German and foreign companies.
The base has been notably used for operations to evacuate German nationals in Africa.
The US military is close to completing its withdrawal from Air Base 101 in Niger, according to Major General Kenneth Ekman of the US Air Force.
A farewell ceremony for the departure of the last C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft from the base near Niamey’s international airport is scheduled for Sunday.
Following the departure, the government of Niger will take control of the former US facilities, Ekman said in a video link interview with Reuters.
