U.S. troops to withdraw from Niger later this year

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerien government on Sunday said U.S. troops would be out of Niger by no later than Sept. 15. The U.S. military bases in the country supported counterterrorism operations with surveillance in the West African region for years before the country’s military junta seized power. Both countries have agreed to maintain protections for U.S. troops during the withdrawal and to ease their withdrawal from the country through overflight and landing clearances for military flights and other means. As of December 2023, roughly 650 U.S. military personnel were stationed in Niger, according to a letter from U.S. President Joe Biden to Congress.

Why are U.S. forces withdrawing? Last summer, the Nigerien military removed President Mohamed Bazoum from power and took control of the country. The U.S. State Department noted on July 26, 2023, condemned an attempted coup and called for the release of Bazoum. In October, the U.S. Department of Defense said that following the coup, there was a suspension of security cooperation and counterterrorism operations with leaders in Niger. Several months later, in March, Nigerien Armed Forces spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said the Nigerien military junta had severed a military cooperation agreement with the United States.

The United States, just days after Abdramane’s announcement, said that it was aware that Niger had severed the countries’ military status agreements and said it was seeking clarification on what that meant. During discussions with Niger’s officials at that time, U.S. Defense Department officials also expressed their concerns about Niger’s growing cooperation with Russia and Iran.

What happens now? The two countries said on Sunday they would continue to work together in areas of common interest. Senior U.S. defense and military officials later told reporters that it remains uncertain what cooperation will look like going forward.

Dig deeper: Read Onize Ohikere’s report on The World and Everything in It podcast from earlier this year about other African nations lifting sanctions imposed on Niger after its military coup.