US military completes withdrawal from Niger
The withdrawal of US troops from Niger is complete, an American official said on Monday, according to AP.
A small number of military personnel assigned to guard the US Embassy remain, Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters.
Earlier this year, Niger's ruling junta ended an agreement that allowed US troops to operate in the West African country.
A few months later, officials from both countries said in a joint statement that US troops would complete their withdrawal by the middle of September.
The US handed over its last military bases in Niger to local authorities last month, but about two dozen American soldiers had remained in Niger, largely for administrative duties related to the withdrawal, Singh said.
Niger had been seen as one of the last nations in the restive region that Western nations could partner with to beat back growing militant insurgencies.
The US and France had more than 2,500 military personnel in the region until recently, and together with other European countries had invested hundreds of millions of dollars in military assistance and training.
In recent months Niger has pulled away from its Western partners, turning instead to Russia for security.
In April, Russian military trainers arrived in Niger to reinforce the country’s air defenses.
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