A joint statement released on Sunday announced that the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger, at the request of the country’s military rulers in the West African state, has commenced and is expected to conclude by September 15 at the latest.
The joint statement further affirmed that the withdrawal of U.S. forces would not in any way affect development-related relationships in Niger.
This decision comes after several days of discussions between a delegation from the U.S. Department of Defense and their Nigerien counterparts in Niamey earlier this week.
Both sides declared an agreement to de-escalate conflicts, with U.S. forces deployed as part of an “anti-jihadist mission” beginning their departure, following Niger’s assertion that their presence was unauthorized.
Military rulers in Niger seized power in a coup in July 2023, scrapping a military cooperation agreement with Washington in March last year.
The U.S. currently has around 650 soldiers in Niger, with a main base for drones near Agadez in the north of the country.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin recently stated that the United States intends to withdraw its troops from Niger, emphasizing, “I’ve mentioned that we’re forced to leave Niger.”
The U.S. State Department previously announced plans for Washington to initiate dialogue with Nigerien authorities regarding the withdrawal of troops from the country. This decision came as a result of ongoing discussions between the United States and the new authorities in the country since 2023 regarding future security cooperation.
Meanwhile, on April 12, as reported by Sputnik, Russian specialists arrived in Niger to train local forces in counterterrorism.
An American military official told Sputnik that as part of the withdrawal of its forces from the country, the United States redeployed approximately 60 troops to Germany, where they will continue their service.
