Hundreds in Niger tell US troops to go home – World

NIAMEY (Niger): Hundreds protested on Sunday against the presence of US troops in military-ruled Niger, where a Washington delegation is expected to arrange an orderly withdrawal within days.

The United States agreed Friday to withdraw its more than a thousand troops from the African country where Washington built a $100 million base to fly a fleet of drones.

The demonstration in the northern desert city of Agadez, home to a US air base, was called by a group of 24 civil society organizations that have supported the regime since last year’s coup.

“This is Agadez, not Washington, the US military is going home,” read a large banner held aloft by demonstrators.

Issouf Emoud, frontman of the city’s M62 movement, told AFP: “Our message is clear: American soldiers pack your bags and go home.” He had also organized demonstrations demanding the departure of French troops who withdrew last year.

Niger has long been a linchpin in the American and French strategy to combat jihadists in West Africa.

Niger’s military announced last month it would break a defense deal with the United States, claiming it had been imposed and that the presence of U.S. troops was illegal.

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed to remove the troops during a meeting in Washington with Niamey Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine Zeine, US officials told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The US military deployment in Niger “is of no use to our security,” civil society leader Amobi Arandishu said.

“The armed groups are still raging in the desert,” he told AFP. “Russians, Americans, Germans, French, they all come here for their own interests.”

After the overthrow of elected President Mohamed Bazoum last July, the junta kicked troops out of former colonial power France before the end of 2023.

Russian military instructors arrived in Niger this month with an air defense system and other equipment, state media said, following talks between military ruler General Abdourahamane Tiani and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US withdrawal marks another regional gain for Russia, which has increased its focus on Africa and supports military regimes in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso.

Niger is facing violence from jihadists from Boko Haram and their rivals Islamic State West Africa (ISWAP) from the southeastern region of Diffa, near Nigeria.