US troops withdraw from Niger Air Force Base 101

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Future of US military mission in Niger under scrutiny after coup Russian troops enter US base in Niger Read more by Euractiv

The U.S. military withdrew its personnel from the 101st Air Force Base near the airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger, on Sunday (July 7) and will withdraw from a large drone base near the desert city of Agadez in the coming weeks.

Niger’s ruling military junta in April ordered the United States to withdraw nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which was devastated by a coup last year.

“The operation was completed ahead of schedule and without any complications, thanks to effective cooperation and communication between the Nigerian and United States armed forces,” Niger’s defense ministry and the U.S. defense ministry said in a joint statement.

U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman said Friday that the next focus would shift to withdrawing a $100 million drone base near Agadez in central Niger that had provided critical BroadCast Unitedligence on jihadist-linked groups.

Future of US military mission in Niger under scrutiny after coup

Last month’s coup in Niger raised questions about whether the United States can continue to have 1,100 troops in the country, which officials and analysts say are critical to fighting Islamist militants in the Sahel region.

He said the withdrawal from the base, also known as Air Force Base 201, would likely take place in August.

Niger’s ruling military junta has given the United States until September 15 to withdraw its troops from its territory.

In April this year, Russia sent military trainers to Niger.

Niger and its military neighbours Mali and Burkina Faso signed a federation pact on Saturday, marking growing ties between the countries in the insurgency-torn central Sahel region.

They tore up defense agreements with American, European and UN forces.

Russian troops enter US base in Niger

A senior U.S. defense official told Reuters that Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that hosts U.S. troops, a move that follows Niger’s military junta’s decision to expel U.S. troops from the country.