Thousands of demonstrators came out on the streets in Niger’s capital Niamey on Sunday to demand that US troops leave the country. According to the New York Times around 1,000 American military personnel are stationed at a remote base in Niger’s desert, from which they fly drones tracking movements of extremist groups in Niger and throughout the region.
“We have called for the departure of the Americans and all foreign forces from Niger, and the CNSP (acronym for the organization of the military junta of Niger) has taken our concerns into account, and it is in this context that we have come to support and reaffirm our support for the CNSP in relation to the decision taken for the departure of foreign forces”, said Abdoulaziz Yaya, a protester.
Niger’s ruling military council, known as the CNSP, has yet to formally order American troops out, U.S. officials have said. But the arrival of the Russian forces complicates matters and ensures that US-Niger counter-terrorism efforts have been dealt a blow. Until recently, Washington considered Niger a key partner and ally in a region swept by coups in recent years. It invested millions of dollars in an airbase in a desert area that served as the heart of American counterinsurgency operations in Africa’s sub-Saharan region known as the Sahel.
A coup in Niger in July last year saw a military junta remove President Mohamed Bazoum The coup also saw demonstrators at the time demanding the exit of French and other western troops in the country. France complied with Niger’s request as its troops left in December last year. However, the US troops have remained, and Washington would be reluctant to remove them as it has crucial interests in the country. Niger’s strategic location has ensured that it has been a major transit route from Africa to Europe, and, till the coup, it was a key member of the Global Coalition to defeat ISIS. The US had established bases there to monitor the activities of Islamist groups as a result.
(With inputs from Reuters)
