US authorities have completed the withdrawal of troops from Air Base 201. It was the only military facility in Niger where US troops were stationed after they left Air Base 101 in Niamey in July.
"The withdrawal of US forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete," the Pentagon and the Niger Ministry of Defense said in a joint statement (quoted by AFP).
"The US has officially begun withdrawing its troops from Niger. 269 troops and 946 tons of military equipment have already left our country."
About a month ago, the United States agreed to withdraw its entire military contingent from Niger. We were talking about more than a thousand American troops. As The Washington Post noted, this decision called into question the status of the American air base built in Niger six years ago for $110 million.
In early May, Russian troops entered the air base where American soldiers were stationed. This was a consequence of the Niger junta's decision to expel American forces from the country. After some time, the United States informed the Niger authorities that they agreed to the request to withdraw American troops.
In mid-March, the Niger authorities cancelled the 2012 military cooperation agreement with the United States, declaring that it had been "imposed" by Washington. Last week, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger — African countries under the control of military juntas — finally agreed on plans to create a confederation, turning to Russia for support and severing ties with France.
In March, the Niger government terminated the military cooperation agreement with the United States. In April, 100 Russian military instructors arrived in Niger. That same month, Russian military specialists entered a US base in Niger. Military equipment from the Russian Federation arrived in the country.
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