Niger’s government declared on Saturday the immediate termination of its military cooperation agreement with the United States. This announcement followed a visit by a senior US delegation to Niger, which aimed to renew contact with the military junta that recently ousted the president and aligned more closely with Russia.
The government’s statement, aired on national television Saturday evening, cited the decision to denounce the agreement concerning US military and civilian personal from the US Department of Defence stationed in Niger.
Despite the July 2023 coup,which has led to restrictions on movements Niger, the United States maintains approximately 1,000 troops stationed at a desert drone base constructed at a cost of $100 million. Additionally, Washington has reduced its assistance to the governments in response to the coup. A year ago, US Secretary of States Antony Blinken made a rare visit to Niger with the aim of bolstering President Mohamed Bazoum, a key ally in Western security endeavors against jihadists.
Merely four months later, the military ousted Bazoum and confined him to his residence. The junta adopted a touch stance towards France, compelling the withdrawal of French troops deployed for almost a decade. While Niger’s military had previously collaborated closely with the United States, the junta has pursued cooperation with Russia, though it has not gone as far as Mali and Burkina Faso in fully embracing Moscow