The United States is set to initiate plans for the withdrawal of its troops from Niger, American officials announced on Saturday, signaling a significant blow to Washington and its regional allies in terms of organizing security operations in the Sahel. The planned departure comes as US officials have stated that they are seeking to negotiate a new military agreement.
Niger’s Prime Minister, appointed by the ruling military junta, Ali Lamine Zeine, and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell, agreed on Friday that both countries would begin planning the withdrawal of American troops, the US State Department said in an email to the Associated Press on Saturday.
A US official stated that there is no timeline for the withdrawal, and discussions on the next steps are expected to commence in the coming days. A US delegation tasked with coordinating the details of the withdrawal process will be dispatched soon.
Niger plays a central role in US military operations in the Sahel region of Africa, an area on the edge of the Sahara desert. Washington is concerned about the spread of jihadist violence, where local groups have pledged allegiance to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.
Niger hosts a significant US air base in the city of Agadez, approximately 920 km from the capital, Niamey, which is used for surveillance flights with or without piloted aircraft and other operations. The US has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training the Nigerien army since the start of its operations in 2013.
Military Agreement
However, relations between Niger and Western countries have deteriorated since mutinous soldiers ousted the country’s democratically elected president in July. The Nigerien junta has since requested French forces to leave and turned to Russia for security assistance. Earlier this month, Russian military trainers arrived to bolster the country’s air defenses and brought Russian equipment to train Nigeriens in its use.
US officials told the AP that the US attempted to renegotiate the military agreement with Niger to allow their troops to stay, but the agreement between Zeine and Campbell indicates that these efforts have failed.
Another senior US State Department official told the AP on Saturday that the Nigerien junta had decided it did not want foreign forces in the country, including the US, and that the security partnership was ending for the time being. The junta informed the US that Russia’s presence aimed to train Nigeriens in equipment usage. The official stated that the US had valid concerns about some of the junta’s choices, particularly regarding the potential clustering of Russian and American troops.
The loss of access to Niger’s air bases is a significant setback for the US and its allies in the region due to its strategic position for security operations in the Sahel, argues Peter Pham, former US Special Envoy for the Sahel region.
“In the short term, they will be hard to replace,” said Mr. Pham, adding that the remaining military presence of the European Union would likely withdraw from Niger following the announcement of the US departure.
Cooperation
The rupture in relations between the two countries would impact development funds and humanitarian aid to Niger, a country that ranks low on many well-being indicators, according to Mr. Pham.
Insa Garba Saidou, a local activist assisting Niger’s military leaders in communication, told the AP that US troops could eventually return after negotiations and that the ruling Nigerien junta, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Nation, aimed to maintain good working relations with the US.
The US is expected to find a new mode of engagement departing from the failed anti-terror cooperation model of the last decade and continue to pressure other states in the Sahel region regarding accountability and human rights violations, says Hannah Rae Armstrong, a senior consultant on peace and security in the Sahel.
Both officials stated that Niger and the US would continue to collaborate in areas of common interest.