The U.S. military has completed its troop withdrawal from Niger after a coup in 2023 seized control of the country and demanded that U.S. soldiers leave the country, a setback for Washington in its war on terrorism in the Sahel region.
The U.S. Department of Defense and Niger’s Ministry of Defense issued a joint statement on Monday saying the withdrawal from 201 Air Base in the city of Agadez was completed a month earlier than previously expected.
According to the announcement, U.S. troops left the base in good condition and with improvements made for its defense.
The U.S. troop withdrawal began in May as negotiations between Niamey and Washington have been ongoing since the July 2023 coup led the junta to demand a full withdrawal. This comes weeks after U.S. forces withdrew from their first base near Niamey in July.
Niger is currently led by General Abdelrahamane Chiani, who led the military coup that ousted former President Mohamed Bazoum last year.
Ciani has become more hostile towards the West, pressing France to withdraw its troops from Niger by the end of 2023.
Niger has since grown closer to Russia, inviting Russian military trainees and advisers to the country earlier this year.
Niger’s coup follows several other countries in the volatile Sahel region, including Mali and Burkina Faso, that have fallen to military rule in recent years.
These developments put US counterterrorism efforts at risk, and Gen. Charles Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the US will seek to work with other countries in the region and with neighboring countries to prevent the growing threat from terrorist and insurgent groups.
