Pentagon Official Says Withdrawal Of United States Troops From Niger Is Over

US Air Force Hercules Aircraft at Mano Dayak International Airport, Agadez, Niger (Wikimedia Commons/NigerTZai)

JAKARTA - The withdrawal of US troops from Niger was "completed", a Pentagon official said on Monday.

"This process began on May 19 after the terms of the withdrawal that have been set together," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters.

"Effective cooperation and communication between the United States and the Niger armed forces ensures that the withdrawal of troops that are safe, orderly, and responsible has been completed without complications on a date that has been decided together, namely September 15, 2024," Singh explained.

Singh added that currently there are only standard embassies in the West African country.

Previously, Niger ended a long-running military agreement with the US in March, declaring the presence of all US troops and contractors as "illegal".

A few months later, officials from the two countries said in a joint statement that the withdrawal of nearly 1,000 US military personnel from the country would be completed in mid-September.

The troop withdrawal order came from the ruling military junta following a coup that took place last year, quoted by Reuters.

Prior to the coup, Niger had been the main partner in the US war against rebels in the Sahel region of Africa, which has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.

Washington is looking for Plan B in West Africa, but the process is slow and officials warn US intelligence is starting to lose direction on the rapidly growing extremist groups in the region.

The US military said at the Karian Monday the US African Command Coordination Element, consisting of a two-star general and staff, had also left Niger.

"Over the past decade, US troops have trained Niger troops and supported counterterrorism missions led by partners against ISIS and al Qaeda in the region," he said in a statement.

"The US Defense Department and the Niger Ministry of National Defense recognize the sacrifices made by the troops of the two countries," he added.

The Pentagon said the withdrawal of US troops from Niger did not affect the continuation of US-Niger development relations. The two countries are committed to conducting ongoing diplomatic dialogues to determine the future of their bilateral relations, he stressed.