US agrees to pull troops out of Niger
By Natasha Booty
All US soldiers are set to leave Niger, ending their role in the fight against Islamist insurgents.
Military leaders in the West African nation have sought closer ties with Russia since seizing power in a coup last year.
On Friday the US also announced than it had agreed to close down its drone base near Agadez, in the Sahara desert.
Niger is in Africa’s Sahel region, which is considered the new global epicentre of the Islamic State group.
The US has relied on Niger as its primary base for monitoring regional jihadist activity.
An American delegation is to head within days to Niger’s capital, Niamey, to arrange an orderly withdrawal of its more than 1,000 troops.
Friday’s announcement follow talks in Washington between the US deputy secretary of state, Kurt Campbell, and Niger’s Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine.
It is seen as a blow to US President Biden’s administration, which had resisted the move.
