US troops formally withdrew from a key air base in Niger on Monday, the first of two bases to be evacuated by American forces after Niamey fell to a military coup in 2023 and Nigerien authorities ordered the departure of Washington.
American forces abandoned Air Base 101, near the capital Niamey, after a ceremony that formalized the departure of the troops, according to the US Africa Command (Africom).
The last aircraft to depart, an Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane, departed on Monday.
The US will leave Air Base 201 in the city of Agadez in September.
US Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman, Africom’s director of strategy, engagement and programs, said he was grateful for the orderly and safe withdrawal of American troops.
“Today we reflect positively on the past 15 years of security cooperation and shared sacrifice by U.S. forces and Nigerien forces,” Ekman said. said in a statement.
A military junta took control of Niger in July 2023, part of a series of Sahel countries that have fallen victim to coups d’état in recent years. Since then, Niamey has moved closer to Russia.
The transition process to leave Air Base 101 began on May 19, when the US and Niger signed a document stipulating the terms of withdrawal.
The US withdrawal from Niger has raised fears of a resurgence of extremist terrorist activities, including by groups affiliated with ISIS. American forces are in Africa and the Middle East to combat the Islamic State group and conduct counterterrorism operations.
Ekman said the US will have to adjust its “presence and activities in West Africa to pursue mutual security objectives.”
“U.S. Africa Command will maintain our focus on building partner capacity and strengthening relationships and trust,” he said. “We are committed to listening to the West African military to better support its partner-led and U.S.-enabled operations to combat violent extremism and improve security and stability.”
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