- The Pentagon is repositioning troops and equipment within Niger, withdrawing non-essential personnel from Air Base 101 in Niamey
- This move is described as prudent military planning to safeguard U.S. assets while addressing the threat of violent extremism in the region
The Pentagon is repositioning some troops and equipment within Niger and will withdraw a small number of non-essential personnel “out of an abundance of caution.”
According to Reuters, this was announced by US officials yesterday, and it is the first major American military movement in Niger since a July coup.
Officials who spoke anonymously declined to say how many personnel would be leaving and how many would be relocating within Niger from Air Base 101 in Niamey, the capital, to Air Base 201 in Agadez.
This consolidation represents prudent military planning to safeguard U.S. assets while continuing to address the threat of violent extremism in the region, one of the officials said.
This does not change our overall force posture in Niger, and we continue to review all options as we assess a way forward,” the official added.
The movement of U.S. assets has been coordinated with and approved by the appropriate authorities.
Officials declined to elaborate on the reason for the repositioning. Even if there is no imminent danger, evacuating people from a single location is generally easier.
Over the last decade, US troops have trained Niger’s security forces in counter-terrorism operations and conducted drone strikes against the Islamic State and an al Qaeda affiliate.
Following the coup, the US halted foreign assistance programs for Niger and military training. Troops have been largely confined to bases.
President Joe Biden’s administration has not formally labelled the military takeover in Niger as a coup, which would limit the amount of security assistance Washington can provide the country.
“The leaders of this attempted coup are putting Niger’s security at risk, creating a potential vacuum that terrorists or other malign groups may exploit,” the official said.
The US has been pushing for a diplomatic solution to the crisis that erupted on July 26 when Niger military officers seized power, deposed President Mohamed Bazoum, and imprisoned him.
Kathleen FitzGibbon, the United States’ new ambassador to Niger, arrived in Niamey last month.
The US drone base known as Air Base 201 cost more than $100 million to build near Agadez in central Niger. It has been used to target the Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) in the Sahel since 2018.
Its significance has grown due to a lack of regional Western security partners.
In recent years, military juntas have taken power in Mali and Burkina Faso, both neighbours of Niger. More than 2,000 French troops left Mali last year, and a 13,000-strong United Nations peacekeeping force is set to leave by the end of the year after the junta abruptly asked them to leave.
France, Niger’s former colonial power, also has troops stationed in the country. However, Paris has refused the coup leaders’ request to withdraw their 1,500 troops.
On July 26, 2023, Niger experienced a coup in which the country’s presidential guard detained President Mohamed Bazoum.
General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the presidential guard commander, declared himself the leader of a military junta shortly after confirming the coup’s success.
Discussion about this post