WASHINGTON — The United States will withdraw all its troops and equipment from a small base in Niger this weekend, and fewer than 500 remaining soldiers will leave a key drone base within the West African country in August, ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline set in an agreement with the brand new ruling junta, the American commander there said Friday.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman said in an interview that a lot of small teams of 10 to twenty U.S. troops, including special forces, have been deployed to other West African countries. But the majority of the troops can be sent to Europe, not less than initially.

The withdrawal of US troops from Niger following a coup last yr has far-reaching consequences for the United States, forcing troops to desert the important thing drone base that was used for counterterrorism missions within the Sahel, an unlimited sub-Saharan region where groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operate.

Ekman and other U.S. military leaders have said other West African countries wish to work with the U.S. and might be open to an expanded American presence. He didn’t provide details on locations, but other U.S. officials cited Ivory Coast and Ghana as examples.

Ekman, who serves as strategy director on the U.S. Africa Command, is leading the U.S. military's withdrawal from the small base on the airport in Niger's capital, Niamey, and from the larger counterterrorism base in town of Agadez. He said there could be a ceremony on Sunday marking the completion of the withdrawal from the airport base, then the last 100 troops and the last C-17 transport plane would depart.

The junta agreement requires two-thirds of U.S. troops and equipment to be overseas by July 26, Ekman said. That deadline, which forced the Pentagon to act quickly, is a key reason why U.S. Africa Command will complete its withdrawal of all 1,000 troops from Niger ahead of schedule.

However, this also leaves a spot within the fight against terrorism that US authorities are struggling to fill as security threats from extremist groups within the Sahel region increase.

One of those groups, Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin, referred to as JNIM, is energetic in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger and is in search of to expand into Benin and Togo. According to US authorities, these expansion sites could initially be used as bases for rest, recreation, raising money and collecting weapons, however the group has also carried out an increasing variety of attacks there.

“Niger has been tremendously helpful for us as a location because it is in the Sahel and borders the areas where the threat is most concentrated,” Ekman said. Now, he said, the challenge is to fight the insurgency while maintaining access from outside Niger, which makes things even harder.

He said other West African coastal states were concerned about threats within the Sahel and desired to speak about how they might work with American forces. Ekman added that the small teams of U.S. troops being deployed to other West African states wouldn’t be combat troops, but advisers, in addition to special forces, personnel recovery and reconnaissance forces.

Talks with other countries are ongoing, and Ekman said some may have an interest but unwilling to host more U.S. troops. One example, he said, is Togo, which lies on the coast southwest of Niger.

“Togo, in my opinion, is a partner that is friendly to the United States, but it is not yet clear to what extent it wants the presence of additional US military personnel there,” he said. “My assessment was: 'Not yet.'”

Speaking to Associated Press and Reuters reporters from the U.S. Embassy in Niamey, Ekman said that while U.S. troops will leave behind unusable portable buildings and vehicles as they leave Niger, lots of larger equipment can be removed. For example, 18 generators, each weighing greater than $1 million, can be faraway from Agadez, he said.

“Our goal in implementing this is to leave things in the best possible condition,” he said. “If we go out and leave a wreck behind, or go out with malice, or if we destroy things as we go along, we would be closing off options for future security relationships.”

Niger's ruling junta ordered U.S. forces to go away the country after the country's democratically elected president was overthrown by mutinous soldiers last July. French troops were also ordered to go away because the junta turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security support.

In October, Washington officially labeled the military's seizure of power a coup, and US laws got here into force restricting military support and aid.

Ekman said he was told there have been fewer than 100 Russian soldiers at the bottom near Niamey and that they too would go away the country once that they had finished training Nigerien soldiers.

The United States was forced to suspend its military operations in March 2024 in Niger – a landlocked West African country within the Sahara. Niger may not look like a serious U.S. ally at first glance, but it surely has served as a crucial base for the U.S. military to work and reply to terrorism within the region.

U.S. officials are currently attempting to negotiate an agreement to take care of some form of military presence in Niger. But for now, Niger's recent ruling junta has said the U.S. military presence poses a threat Violation of Niger's structure. The fate of the US presence, including two military drone bases, stays uncertain.

In July 2023, Niger Military carried out successfully A rise up and overthrew the democratically elected government. Military leaders arrested President Mohamed Bazoum and announced an end to the structure and government. The coup plotters established their very own government, a military junta called the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, to run the country – although the president still refuses to step down.

Niger is a former French colony and was until recently home to 1,500 French troops, most of whom all withdrew by December 2023. As the military junta drove out the French troops, initially allowed the USA to proceed operating the bottom. But in March 2024 it ordered the USA to withdraw.

Although roughly 1,000 US troops remain in NigerThe prospects for the US maintaining its current presence and reactivating drone bases aren’t promising. Apart from the military junta, hundreds of Nigerians took part large-scale protests Call for US military withdraws.

As an extra complication Russian military personnel have arrived in Niger in April 2024 to coach Nigerian Armed Forces. They delivered military equipment and stated that they planned to construct one Air defense system in Niger. This deployment is a component of the increased military cooperation with Russia that Niger is looking for.

As Experts in US military operationsWe consider it is evident that the loss of those bases poses problems US regional interests in Africa and cedes ground Russia and China. This puts the US in a disadvantageous position for creating political influence in Africa.

Why the US has military bases in Niger

The USA has a military presence in several countries African countries.

In Niger, the US had two military bases, Air Base 101 and Air Base 201, and was the primary to accomplish that Drone operations in 2013.

While Niger is one in every of the poorest countries on the earthIt is geographical location and natural resources have increased their importance for world powers. Niger's location particularly gives the USA the chance to take part in the fight against terrorism in large parts of West Africa.

It has been increased political rebellion and violence on this region of Africa lately. Have drones from Air Force Base 201 increasingly monitored and data collected about it the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. The USA monitors the activity within the Lake Chad Basin, which incorporates Niger's neighboring countries Cameroon, Chad and Nigeria.

The impact of the lack of base in Niger

Since the military coup in Niger, the country has turn into increasingly isolated from others. The governments of France and the United States have cut aid to Niger, and the European Union and Nigeria have all cut their aid Economic sanctions imposed.

In response, Niger's ruling junta has strengthened its military Cooperation with Russia and Iran.

If U.S. forces are fully withdrawn from Niger, it could also present opportunities for China to extend its influence there. In recent years, China was one in every of them Niger's most vital trading partner. In 2022, China absorbed about 9% of Nigeria's exports and accounted for 22% of Nigeria's imports.

The USA accounts for a comparatively small share Niger's total trade.

Why the US is constructing military bases in Africa

The United States, China and Russia have all created a growing military footprint in Africa over the past twenty years.

Before 2001, US aid was to Africa focused on goals comparable to eradicating HIV/AIDS and creating more educational opportunities for youngsters.

After the attacks of September 11, 2001 within the USA and those that followed War on TerrorismThe United States continued to conduct health and other operations in Africa, but additionally increased its military presence there. President George W. Bush's administration sought to eradicate al-Qaeda affiliates and other extremist movements in Africa and elsewhere. African countries that were targets of al-Qaeda terrorism also experienced one Increasing the share of US military aid They received.

In 2007, the US Department of Defense unified its work in Africa by making a recent command called Africa Command, or AFRICOM. Under AFRICOM, the U.S. military has done this trained, advised and supported the militaries of other African countries and has also attempted to combat militant groups comparable to Boko Haram.

China established its first everlasting foreign military base in Djibouti in 2017. It is now reportedly attempting to arrange one other one Equatorial Guinea. Beyond military bases, China has invested billions of dollars economic development across Africa through its Belt and Road Initiative, which goals to develop recent things Trade routes for China.

The U.S. has also worked with China to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa and promote stability on international shipping routes.

Russia, meanwhile, used the Wagner Group, a state-financed private military organization, to do that Providing military assistance and negotiating recent economic agreements with African leaders. After a failed mutiny by the Wagner Group and the death of its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, the Wagner Group in Africa was renamed the Africa Corps and continues much of this work in Africa.

The interest of those countries in recent construction Military bases in Africa is predicated on their desire to advertise their interests and secure access to business and security resources.

An unclear path ahead

The US is now in search of alternatives to its lost drone bases in Niger, but there are few options within the region that supply each They are allied with the USA and haven’t any military government. While the US has and may cooperate with them previously influence Nations where the military also runs the federal government, generally the United States within the post-Cold War era joins democratic countries.

Furthermore, this might be the case if US rivals comparable to China and Russia gain influence within the region costlier for the USA to construct recent military bases in Africa. Research shows When host states have a selection of major powers to cooperate with, more economic incentives are needed to win their favor. That is, it will not be clear to what extent the US can maintain a presence in West and Central Africa.