The United States formally handed over its last military base in Niger to the current government on Monday, completing a withdrawal ordered by the Nigerien government in March.
About two dozen U.S. troops remain in the country to perform administrative duties but have been told to withdraw by September 15.
Niger is President Joe Biden’s latest global retreat, as the country’s governing military officers decided In March, Niger’s government announced it would not renew a strategically vital counterterrorism operation launched in 2012. Niger provides a key base for operations in the terrorist-infested Sahel region, where groups linked to both al-Qaida and the Islamic State operate.
The U.S. deployment had already been significantly reduced by the time Niger’s elected government was overthrown in July 2023 by a military junta calling itself the Council for the Defense of the National Fatherland (CNSP, by its French acronym).
The CNSP alleged that, in the words of junta-appointed Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamin Zain, U.S. troops “did nothing while terrorists killed people and burned towns.” Zain said government officials sent to negotiate with the Biden administration were arrogant, condescending and threatening, particularly in insisting that Niger give up on rumored uranium sales to Iran.
Biden administration officials basically agreed with Zeineh’s description of the deterioration of relations between the two countries, but insisted Biden had been given “options, not ultimatums” about maintaining good relations with the United States and respecting America’s “democratic values and national security interests.”
The Biden campaign has insisted the Pentagon can resolve the difficulties with Niger by May. Destroyed The story He ordered the 1,000 U.S. combat troops in Niger to prepare to withdraw.
Critics worry Biden is letting the U.S. military “sit on a powder keg.” Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) put thatGates compared the situation to the rising tensions that followed the Obama administration’s Benghazi disaster in 2012.
In May, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed that Russian forces were stationed at 101 Air Base near Niger’s capital, Niamey, but U.S. troops were still stationed there. Top defense officials gritted their teeth and hoped that a clash would not occur.
Biden administration officials kept talking about “limited reductions to a level that the Nigerien people can tolerate,” but that level ended up being zero.
U.S. Army Withdrew This month, Nigerien troops completely withdrew from Air Base 101, and on Monday the Ministry of Defense and the Nigerien government announced the transfer of Air Base 201, the larger of two U.S. military bases.
“The withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets from 201 Air Base in Agadez is complete. Effective cooperation and communication between U.S. and Nigerien militaries ensured this handover was completed ahead of schedule and without any issues,” U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) said. Said in a statement on Monday.
Airbase 101 was primarily used to launch unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) such as the MQ-9 Reaper drone, but Airbase 201, which opened in 2019, Competent On handling the giant C-17 Globemaster transport plane.
Biden administration officials vague As for how much U.S. military equipment remains at the two bases, the United States and its European allies have not commented. Invested Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on the Niger operation, including training the Nigerien military. The 201 Air Base construction project cost U.S. taxpayers at least $100 million.
Pentagon officials said weapons and other “sensitive equipment” are being prioritized for rapid removal from the base. Expensive equipment, such as the giant multi-million dollar generators provided to 201 Air Base, is reportedly being shipped to Europe for the time being. US officials said Niger’s military government has promised not to hand over any remaining US equipment or facilities to Russia, which is advancing into the region with its newly formed Africa Corps.
US and UN reports say terrorist activity is increasing in the Sahel region as US and former colonial power France withdraw troops.
united nations release A report last week said the “most significant threat” in the region is the al-Qaeda-linked group Jemaah Nusrat al-Isra wa al-Muslimeen (JNIM), which it said has between 5,000 and 6,000 fighters in the region and may soon establish “an emirate from central Mali to northern Benin.”
The report said ISIS and its West African affiliate, known as ISWAP, have also been expanding and may actually have more fighters than JNIM, although their focus has diverted to other regions.
JNIM and ISIS have seemingly come to a truce while they use the US and European withdrawal to focus on expanding their sphere of influence. Given the effectiveness of Russian mercenaries brought in by nervous military regimes like Niger and Mali, most international analysts believe it is only a matter of time before Niger falls to the jihadists. has no effect Against the rebels.
