On Wednesday, General Kenneth Ekman of the United States Army announced that American troops will be completely withdrawn from Niger by August.
Speaking to journalists in Abidjan, Ekman, who heads the US Africa Command (Africom), stated, “The withdrawal is going well. It is ahead of schedule due to the excellent coordination with our Nigerien military counterparts. I expect the withdrawal to be completed by early August, well ahead of the mutually agreed deadline of September 15. The consequences for regional security are very concerning.”
Ekman added, “I’ve been speaking with your military and government leaders — we share the same concerns about the growing violent extremist threat that increasingly threatens countries around the Sahel.”
The US began withdrawing its troops from Niger in July, though 200 US soldiers remain at the Agadez drone base in the north of the country. US troops have been part of an international effort to suppress jihadist forces that regularly strike across the region. However, following a coup in Niger a year ago in March, the new military leaders instructed US and French forces to leave the country.
