Current:Home > reviewsU.S. troops will complete their withdrawal from Niger by mid-September, the Pentagon says -Wealthify
U.S. troops will complete their withdrawal from Niger by mid-September, the Pentagon says
View
Date:2025-04-15 23:11:26
U.S. troops ordered out of Niger by the West African country's ruling junta will complete their withdrawal by the middle of September, the Pentagon and Nigerien defense officials said Sunday.
The timeline was the product of four days of talks between the countries' defense officials in the capital city of Niamey, according to a joint statement.
Niger's decision to kick out American forces dealt a blow to U.S. military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara desert where groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group operate.
The rupture in military cooperation followed last July's ouster of the country's democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers. A few months later, the ruling junta asked French forces to leave and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.
In October, Washington officially designated the military takeover as a coup, which triggered U.S. laws restricting the military support and aid that it can provide to Niger.
About 1,000 U.S. troops are still in Niger, mostly on an airbase near Agadez, some 920 kilometers (550 miles) away from the capital.
Until recently, Washington considered Niger a key partner and ally in a region swept by coups in recent years, investing millions of dollars in the Agadez base, which has been critical to U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Sahel. The United States also has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger's military since it began operations there in 2013.
The Pentagon has said the U.S. will relocate most of the approximately 100 forces it has deployed in neighboring Chad for now. But talks are expected to resume next month about revising an agreement that allows U.S. troops to be based in Chad.
- In:
- Niger
- Pentagon
- Africa
- Politics
- Coup d'etat
veryGood! (391)
Related
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Hiker kills rabid coyote with bare hands following attack in Rhode Island
- Natalee Holloway Murderer Joran van der Sloot's Violent Crimes Explored in Chilling Doc
- Alaska man is first reported person to die of Alaskapox virus; exposure may be linked to stray cat
- Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
- Married 71 years, he still remembers the moment she walked through the door: A love story
- Ukrainian military says it sank a Russian landing ship in the Black Sea
- NBA All-Star game: Kentucky basketball sets record with 7 participants
- Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie return for an 'Encore,' reminisce about 'The Simple Life'
- This SKIMS Satin Lace Dress Is the Best Slip I’ve Ever Worn as a Curvy Girl—Here's Exactly Why
Ranking
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- Suspect captured in fatal shooting of Tennessee sheriff's deputy
- Fortune 500 oil giant to pay $4 million for air pollution at New Mexico and Texas facilities
- A radio station is now playing Beyoncé's country song after an outcry from fans
- Average rate on 30
- How previous back-to-back Super Bowl winners fared going for a three-peat
- Watch extended cut of Ben Affleck's popular Dunkin' Super Bowl commercial
- Houston company aims to return America to moon's surface with robot lander
Recommendation
Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
Lyft shares rocket 62% over a typo in the company’s earnings release
Why This Love Is Blind Season 6 Contestant Walked Off the Show Over Shocking Comments
Allow These 14 Iconic Celebrity Dates to Inspire You This Valentine’s Day
Global Warming Set the Stage for Los Angeles Fires
Activist sees ‘new beginning’ after Polish state TV apologizes for years of anti-LGBTQ propaganda
Greek lawmakers are debating a landmark bill to legalize same-sex marriage. Here’s what it means
Feds finalize areas for floating offshore wind farms along Oregon coast