US military begins slow transition out of Niger ahead of troop withdrawal

The United States Began According to statements from the U.S. Department of Defense and the Niger Republic Ministry of Defense, the withdrawal from Niger is a gradual transition in preparation for the withdrawal of troops.

“The U.S. Department of Defense and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Niger are pleased to announce that the withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets from Niger has progressed from initial preparations to redeployment,” the statement read. “This important transition began with the departure of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III from Niamey’s 101st Air Base on June 7, 2024.”

“This flight is a great example of the productive working relationship between the U.S. and Nigerien militaries through the Joint Withdrawal Committee, which is tasked with overseeing and coordinating the orderly and safe withdrawal of U.S. forces from Niger,” the statement continued.

Last month, the Pentagon said U.S. forces would withdraw all assets from Niger by mid-September, following a coup last year in the North African country by a group of military leaders who established a Russian-aligned military government.

“While terrorists were killing people and burning towns, the Americans remained on our territory and did nothing,” Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Lamin Zein said. Said In a Washington Post report last month, he said: “Allowing terrorists to come and attack our territory is not a sign of friendship.”

Niger has ordered France to withdraw its troops ahead of negotiations with the U.S. on a withdrawal agreement. The region has seen a number of coups in recent years, which has been a boon for Russia, but the impending withdrawal is one of a number of disappointments for the U.S.