Pentagon says completed US military withdrawal from Niger
The United States has announced that its military troops have completed a full withdrawal from Niger meeting the deadline.
The US military said on Monday that the pullout took place in accordance to Niamey's demand for the American forces' complete exit from the African country by September 15.
The two countries “announce that the withdrawal of US forces and assets from Niger is complete,” Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement on Sunday.
“The safe, orderly, and responsible withdrawal was completed without complications, by the mutually decided date of September 15, 2024,” AFRICOM announced.
In April, Niger's ruling junta had ordered the US troops withdrawal following a coup last year in the West African nation.
1,000 US troops exited the country in phases, with forces and assets withdrawing from Air Base 101 in Niamey in July and Air Base 201 in Agadez in August.
Washington said the US Africa Command Coordination Element had also pulled out before the deadline.
"Over the past decade, US troops have trained Niger's forces and supported partner-led counterterrorism missions against Islamic State and al Qaeda in the region," AFRICOM said in its statement.
"The US Department of Defense and the Nigerien Ministry of National Defense recognize the sacrifices made by both nations' forces."
The withdrawal of American troops from Niger followed the pullout of French troops.
The West African nation's demand that the US military pull out its troops from the country following last year's takeover by the military in Niger is seen as an embarrassment to Washington.
Before the junta's takeover of the African country, the Niger government had facilitated the US military presence by allowing Washington to set up key military bases to operate in the Sahel region of Africa.
Meanwhile, Washington is looking to find a new way to maintain its forces military presence in West Africa. However, the process of finding a country willing to agree with the idea of the US being free to run a military base in it is tricky.
US officials claim that without consolidated military presence, US intelligence on the fast-growing militant extremist groups operating in the Sahel region is going to diminish rapidly.
The establishment of military bases in the region belonging to the US and former colonial power, France, create serious national security implications for the host country.
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