U.S. troops leaving Niger bases this weekend and in August after coup, officials say

The U.S. will take away all its forces and gear from a small base in Niger this weekend and fewer than 500 remaining troops will go away a essential drone base in the West African nation in August, forward of a Sept. 15 deadline set in an settlement with the brand new ruling junta, the American commander there stated Friday.

Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman stated in an interview that quite a lot of small groups of 10-20 U.S. troops, together with particular operations forces, have moved to different international locations in West Africa. But the majority of the forces will go, a minimum of initially, to Europe. 

Niger’s ouster of American troops following a coup last year has broad ramifications for the U.S. as a result of it’s forcing troops to desert the essential drone base that was used for counterterrorism missions in the Sahel.

Ekman and different U.S. military leaders have said different West African nations wish to work with the U.S. and could also be open to an expanded American presence. He didn’t element the places, however different U.S. officials have pointed to the Ivory Coast and Ghana as examples.

Ekman, who serves because the director for technique at U.S. Africa Command, is main the U.S. army withdrawal from the small base on the airport in Niger’s capital of Niamey and from the bigger counterterrorism base in the town of Agadez. He stated there can be a ceremony Sunday marking the finished pullout from the airport base, then these remaining 100 troops and the final C-17 transport plane will depart.

Speaking to reporters from The Associated Press and Reuters from the U.S. embassy in Niamey, Ekman stated that whereas moveable buildings and autos which might be now not helpful can be left behind, a whole lot of bigger gear can be pulled out. For instance, he stated 18 4,000-pound (1,800-kilograms) turbines price greater than $1 million every can be taken out of Agadez.

Unlike the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he stated the U.S. shouldn’t be destroying gear or amenities because it leaves.

“Our goal in the execution is, leave things in as good a state as possible,” he stated. “If we went out and left it a wreck or we went out spitefully, or if we destroyed things as we went, we’d be foreclosing options” for future safety relations.

Niger’s ruling junta ordered U.S. forces overseas in the wake of final July’s ouster of the nation’s democratically elected president by mutinous troopers. French forces had additionally been requested to go away because the junta turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for safety help.

Washington formally designated the army takeover as a coup in October, triggering U.S. legal guidelines proscribing the army help and assist.