The United States and Niger have begun talks on the withdrawal of American troops stationed at two airbases in the African nation. This follows Niger’s decision last month to end its military cooperation agreement with Washington.
The Pentagon confirmed the discussions on Tuesday, stating a small delegation would be sent to Niger “for the orderly withdrawal of U.S. forces.” The move comes after years of US counter-terrorism operations against ISIS and Al Qaeda in the West African region, conducted from these very airbases.
“We’ll continue to work with regional partners” to ensure security, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder reassured. However, the future of such operations remains uncertain.
The troop withdrawal was unsurprising, given the recent arrival of 100 Russian soldiers in Niger and growing anti-US sentiment. Mass protests erupted in the capital, Niamey, demanding the departure of American forces.