US military completes withdrawal from Niger

The U.S. military said Monday it had completed its withdrawal from Niger.

The West African nation's ruling junta in April ordered the U.S. to withdraw nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, in an embarrassing setback for Washington that followed a coup last year.

Before the coup, Niger had been a key partner in the U.S. fight against insurgents in the Sahel region, who have killed thousands and displaced millions.

Washington is seeking an alternative strategy in West Africa, but the process is slow, and officials caution that U.S. intelligence on fast-growing extremist groups in the region is diminishing.

The U.S. withdrawal from Niger was carried out in phases, with U.S. forces and assets withdrawing from Air Base 101 in Niamey on July 7 and Air Base 201 in Agadez on Aug. 5. The U.S. military said Monday that the U.S. Africa Command Coordination Element, consisting of a two-star general and staff, had also departed Niger, completing the withdrawal by the Sept. 15 deadline.

"Over the past decade, U.S. troops have trained Niger's forces and supported partner-led counterterrorism missions against the Islamic State and al-Qaida in the region," the military said in a statement.

"The U.S. Department of Defense and the Nigerien Ministry of National Defense recognize the sacrifices made by both nations' forces."

Reuters