The U.S. has announced that it has handed over its last military base in the African nation of Niger.
On Monday, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger issued a joint statement announcing that "the withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete."
"This effort began on May 19 following the mutual establishment of withdrawal conditions and coordination will continue between U.S. and Nigerien armed forces over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned," the announcement said.
"Nigerien Air Base 201, near Agadez in central Niger, was improved by the United States to support enhanced defense cooperation with the Nigerien armed forces and regional counterterrorism efforts."
The joint statement also noted that over the past several years, U.S. troops have helped train Niger's military and "supported partner-led counterterrorism missions against Islamic State and al-Qaida in the region."
Earlier this year, Niger's ruling junta announced that it was ending an agreement that allowed U.S. military assets to operate in the country. In May, a joint statement issued by the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger stated that the two reached an agreement for a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from the African nation by Sept. 15, 2024.
The joint statement also noted that the withdrawal of troops did not change the current state of U.S.-Niger diplomatic relations.
Niger was long regarded as a rare bastion of stability in the increasingly volatile Sahel region, serving as a critical ally for Western nations in their fight against the rising tide of jihadist insurgencies. Until recently, the United States and France maintained a military presence of over 2,500 personnel in the area, working in conjunction with other European countries to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid and training initiatives.
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense via email for comment.
Last month, Newsweek reported on how Dr. Olayinka Ajala, a West African geopolitical analyst and professor at Leeds Beckett University, recently expressed concerns that Iran has been seeking to source uranium from West Africa, signaling a further expansion of the nuclear program that has long rattled states in the West.
"There have been rumors that Iran is actively seeking mining licenses in Niger to enrich their nuclear facilities in Iran," Ajala said during an interview with National Security News.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
