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According to the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington will take future steps regarding its military presence in Niger, following France’s announcement that it will withdraw its troops from the Sahel country by the end of the year.
According to the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Washington will take future steps regarding its military presence in Niger, following France’s announcement that it will withdraw its troops from the Sahel country by the end of the year. The US would continue to explore all future steps that will prioritize both diplomatic and security objectives, Lloyd Austin told a press conference in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, where he is visiting.
President Emmanuel Macron announced the return to Paris of the French ambassador in Niamey and the withdrawal from Niger of the 1,500 French troops based in the country. Macron said recently that Paris was ending its military cooperation with the de facto authorities in Niger because they no longer want to fight terrorism.
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The United States has some 1,100 troops stationed in Niger, engaged against jihadist groups active in the region. The US has not made any significant changes to the positioning of the forces, the visiting dignitary said, while adding that the US wanted a diplomatic solution and a peaceful outcome.
The Pentagon had announced on September 7, as reported by www.trendsnafrica.com that it was repositioning its troops as a precaution. The US has transferred some soldiers from a base in the capital Niamey to an air base further north. On September 14, the United States announced that it was resuming surveillance flights over Niger, which it had interrupted after the military coup in late July. The rest of its military operations in the country remained frozen. Mali and Burkina Faso, where there was a considerable presence of French troops, have already been pushed out by hostile juntas.
