Niger revokes military accord with U.S.: govt

Niger's government announced on Saturday that it was breaking off its military cooperation agreement with the United States "with immediate effect."

The declaration came just a day after a senior U.S. delegation left Niger following a three-day visit to renew contact with the ruling military council, the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland (CNSP), which ousted the president and moved closer to Russia.

Speaking on television in the West African nation, Amadou Abdramane, the CNSP's spokesperson, said that the U.S. delegation did not follow diplomatic protocol, and that Niger was not informed about the composition of the delegation, the date of its arrival or the agenda.

He added that the discussions centered around the current military transition in Niger, military cooperation between the two countries, and Niger's choice of partners in the fight against militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said senior U.S. officials had engaged in "frank discussions" in Niamey earlier this week about the trajectory of the CNSP.

"We are in touch with the CNSP and will provide further updates as warranted," the official added.

Since seizing power in July last year, the Niger military leadership, like the military rulers in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, have expelled French and other European forces and turned to Russia for support.

"Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism," Abdramane said.

"Also, the government of Niger forcefully denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation towards the Nigerien government and people," he added.

As of last year, there were about 1,100 U.S. troops in Niger, where the U.S. military operates out of two bases, including a drone base known as Air Base 201, built near Agadez in central Niger at a cost of more than $100 million.

Since 2018, the base has been used to target Islamic State militants and Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, an al Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region.

Abdramane said the status and presence of U.S. troops in Niger were illegal and violated constitutional and democratic rules because, according to the spokesperson, it was unilaterally imposed on the African nation in 2012.

He said Niger was not aware of the number of U.S. civilian and military personnel on its soil or the amount of equipment deployed, and, according to the agreement, the U.S. military had no obligation to respond to any request for help against militants.

"In light of all the above, the government of Niger, revokes with immediate effect the agreement concerning the status of United States military personnel and civilian employees of the American Department of Defense on the territory of the Republic of Niger," Abdramane said.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: Supporters of the National Council for the Protection of the Homeland at the Niger and French airbases in Niamey, Niger, August 27, 2023. /CFP)