US COMPLETES WITHDRAWAL FROM KEY NIGER AIR BASE FOLLOWING JUNTA ORDER

Tue 06 August 2024:

The United States military has completed its withdrawal from air base 201 in Niger, officials announced on Monday. This follows an order from Niger’s ruling junta for nearly 1,000 US military personnel to leave the country after a coup last year.

Air base 201, located near Agadez in central Niger and built at a cost of $100 million, was a crucial site for gathering intelligence on militant groups before the coup.

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Coordination and Completion

A joint statement from Niger’s defense ministry and the US military confirmed the withdrawal of personnel and equipment from the base. The statement emphasized that coordination would continue in the coming weeks to ensure the pullout is complete. “The effective cooperation and communication between the U.S. and Nigerien armed forces ensured that this turnover was finished ahead of schedule and without complications.”

Niger’s junta has set a deadline of September 15 for the US to remove all its troops from the country. US forces had already vacated air base 101 last month.

The decision to expel US troops followed a meeting in Niamey in mid-March where senior US officials expressed concerns over the anticipated arrival of Russian forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials in Niger, including uranium. In April, Russia sent military trainers to Niger.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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