According to Reuters, Niger’s ruling military junta has taken the sudden decision to revoke a military accord that allows U.S. military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense to be present on its soil. The announcement was made by junta spokesperson Colonel Amadou Abdramane on Saturday.
The junta’s decision came after a visit by U.S. officials earlier this week, which was led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and included General Michael Langley, the commander of the U.S. Africa Command. Abdramane stated on television in Niger that the U.S. delegation did not adhere to diplomatic protocol and did not inform Niger about the composition of the delegation, the date of its arrival, or the agenda.
The discussions during the visit reportedly centered around the ongoing military transition in Niger and military cooperation between the United States and Niger. Last year, there were approximately 1,100 U.S. troops present in Niger, with the U.S. military operating out of two bases in the country, including a drone base known as Air Base 201 near Agadez, which cost over $100 million to build.
Since 2018, the base has been utilized to target Islamic State militants and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region. The decision to revoke the military accord with immediate effect raises questions about the future of cooperation between the U.S. and Niger in countering terrorism in the region.
Reporting by Boureima Balima, with additional contributions by Idrees Ali and Daphne Psaledakis, highlighted the implications of the junta’s decision. The reporting was further developed by the writing of Bate Felix and the editing by Alexander Smith and Paul Simao.
