Washington, D.C., USA — The United States has introduced plans to withdraw its troopers from Niger, marking an finish to their involvement within the area’s battle in opposition to Islamist insurgents.
This transfer follows Niger’s shift in direction of nearer safety ties with Russia after a coup final yr positioned army leaders in management.
The withdrawal contains shutting down a big US drone base close to Agadez within the Sahara Desert, which has been central to the US and French efforts to observe and fight jihadist actions throughout West Africa. Constructed at a price of $100 million simply six years in the past, the bottom’s closure represents a big shift in US army technique within the area.
The choice was finalized after discussions in Washington between US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
An American delegation is anticipated to journey to Niamey, the capital of Niger, inside days to plan the orderly withdrawal of greater than 1,000 American troops presently stationed there.
Niger’s rising alignment with Russia is clear from the current arrival of Russian army instructors and superior air protection techniques, as reported by state media.
This pivot away from Western alliances is a part of a broader regional realignment, with Niger fostering stronger ties with different junta-led nations akin to Burkina Faso and Mali.
Together, these international locations have withdrawn from Ecowas, the West African regional physique that opposed their army takeovers, and have exited the French-backed G5 Sahel pressure, criticizing it as ineffective and detrimental to African sovereignty.
In its place, they’ve fashioned the Alliance of Sahel States, a brand new protection pact aimed toward addressing safety challenges with out Western intervention.
The US withdrawal is considered as a setback for President Joe Biden’s administration, which had beforehand resisted the transfer away from Niger.
The improvement alerts a doubtlessly vital change within the geopolitical panorama of West Africa, as native powers recalibrate their overseas and safety insurance policies amid shifting world influences.
https://www.africanexponent.com/us-troops-set-to-withdraw-from-niger-as-junta-tightens-military-alliances-with-russia/
