Niger’s junta revokes military cooperation agreement with the US | Africa

The military junta that has governed Niger since July last year, after leading a coup that overthrew the democratically elected President, Mohamed Bazoum, announced on Saturday night that it had revoked “with immediate effect” the military cooperation agreement with the United States. , in force since 2012.

As of 2023, there are about 1,100 U.S. troops stationed in the West African country, where the U.S. operates two military bases. Built in 2019, Air Base 201, located near the city of Agadez, in the central desert region of Niger, cost around 100 million dollars and is an important base for drones North Americans.

Like the junta that recently took power in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger’s self-proclaimed National Council for the Safeguard of the Fatherland (CNSP) expelled French soldiers and other European security forces from the country and strengthened ties with Russia, whose influence on the African continent is based on the paramilitary and economic activities of the Wagner Group.

The decision by the Nigerien authorities was conveyed by Colonel Amadou Abdramane, spokesman for the junta, through a television statement, and was taken following a three-day visit by a North American delegation to Niamey, the country’s capital.

Led by the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, and the head of the US Africa Command, General Michael Langley, the delegation wanted to discuss the next steps in cooperation between the US and Niger, particularly in the fight against Islamist terrorism in the Sahel region, where armed groups with links to Al-Qaeda and Daesh operate.

“Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign people of Niger the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight terrorism,” said Abdramane.

“In addition, the Government of Niger strongly denounces the condescending attitude, accompanied by the threat of retaliation, of the head of the American delegation towards the Government and the Nigerian people”, he added, cited by Reuters.

“In light of all that has been said, the Government of Niger revokes, with immediate effect, the agreement regarding the status of United States military personnel and civilian employees of the American Department of Defense in the territory of the Republic of Niger,” declared the spokesperson.

In response, in a message published on will provide new information about the case “when necessary”.

Miller did not refute Abdramane’s accusations, but assumed that the delegation that visited Niger last week expressed their “concerns about the trajectory” followed by the military junta.