Pentagon weighs options after Niger orders US troops to leave

WASHINGTON (CN) — The Pentagon is weighing its options after Niger’s ruling military said it has directed U.S. forces to leave a key base for counterterrorism operations in Africa.

Last week, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander and the head of U.S. Africa Command General Michael Langley met with members of the military junta.

Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said officials expressed concern about Niger’s potential relationship with Russia and Iran. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said diplomats discussed Niger’s path to civilian democratic rule, shared counterterrorism goals and “the importance of Niger conducting its external partnerships in a manner consistent with international law.” Jake Sullivan, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, said the meetings were about U.S. concerns over Niger’s “trajectory.”

Then on Saturday, Amadou Abdramane, the junta’s spokesman, said the Nigerien government “denounced with force the condescending attitude” of the delegation. He said the government was immediately ending its accord with the U.S. military.

The White House, Pentagon and State Department are aware of the Saturday statement from the ruling military and was seeking more information as of Monday.

“We're seeking further clarification for what that statement means,” Singh said. “Again, we want to see our partnership continue if there is a pathway forward, and I'll just leave it at that.”

Insa Garba Saidou, who assists Niger’s military rulers with communications, criticized U.S. efforts to force the junta to pick between international partners.

“The American bases and civilian personnel cannot stay on Nigerien soil any longer,” he told The Associated Press.

The Nigerien military seized power on July 26, 2023, and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. Bazoum was elected in 2021 to succeed Mahamadou Issoufou, who left office voluntarily after two terms marking Niger’s first peaceful transfer of power since independence in 1960. 

The United States has more than 1,000 troops in Niger. Before the coup, they coordinated with the Nigerien military on counterterrorism operations and security force assistance training. France also maintained 1,400 troops in the country, but has withdrawn its forces.

Pentagon officials said U.S. troops in Niger haven’t conducted any counterterrorism operations since the coup. Niger, along with many countries in western Africa, face an ongoing insurgency by several armed groups in the Sahel region, including the Islamic State, al-Qaida and Boko Haram.

The State Department legally declared the military takeover a coup in October, cutting off hundreds of millions in foreign aid.

The situation in Niger is one of several foreign policy issues for the Biden administration in Africa. Those include rising tensions with Zimbabwe, worsening war and a potential genocide in Sudan, diplomatic spats with Uganda and Ghana over anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, strained relations between Ethiopia and Somalia and six military takeovers since 2020.

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