Niger Cuts ‘Profoundly Unfair’ Military Ties with US

Niger's military junta announced earlier this week that it had ended an accord with the United States that allowed military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense to operate in the country after days of holding high-level talks with US diplomatic and military officials.

"The government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, decides with full responsibility to denounce with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of military personnel of the United States and civilian employees of the American Department of Defense in the territory of the Republic of Niger," junta spokesperson Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said in a statement on national television.

Abdramane also said that the revoked 2012 agreement between the two countries was imposed on Niger and had been in violation of the "constitutional and democratic rules" of Nigerien sovereignty.

He added, "This agreement is not only profoundly unfair in its substance but also does not meet the aspirations and interests of the Nigerien people."

Abdramane: Niger 'Denounces' Washington's 'Condescending Attitude'

Niger was once a key regional partner for the US, but relations have deteriorated since the junta claimed power in July 2023 in what the US formally designated as a coup.

Since then, Washington has ordered the evacuation of non-essential staff at its embassy in Niamey and many of its 1,100 troops stationed in the West African nation.

However, senior Pentagon officials believed that keeping a presence in Niger was vital to efforts to tackle terrorism in West Africa. In October, CNN reported that the Pentagon was still assessing how the change would impact its military presence in the country.

The Nigerien junta's announcement came after a senior US delegation's three-day visit to the country this week.

Abdramane said that the US delegation was received out of "courtesy" and "did not respect diplomatic practices" by not providing information regarding the date of its arrival, the composition of the delegation, and the purpose of the visit. He also explained that Nigerien and American officials discussed the military transition in Niger and military cooperation between the two countries.

"The government of Niger regrets the desire of the American delegation to deny the Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships capable of helping them truly fight against terrorists," he said, adding that his country "forcefully denounces" the US delegation's "condescending attitude."

He also rejected what he said were allegations of a secret deal made between Niger, Russia, and Iran.

The Department of Defense did not immediately respond to reporters' requests for comment.