Niger suspends military cooperation with US “with immediate effect”

Niger has dealt a blow to US security interests in the region by suspending its military agreement with the United States “with immediate effect”.

The pact, which allowed US military personnel and civilian defence staff to operate from Niger, has played a central role in the US military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region. This decision, announced on Saturday, came after a visit from senior US officials to discuss democratic transition in Niger.

Colonel Amadou Abdramane, the ruling military spokesman, stated that the US delegation did not follow diplomatic protocol in their visit. Niger was not informed about the composition of the delegation, the date of its arrival, or the agenda.

Abdramane expressed regret over the American delegation’s intention to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships that can genuinely help them fight against terrorism.

Niger’s decision to suspend military cooperation with the US will have significant implications for both countries. For Niger, it may impact their ability to effectively combat terrorism in the Sahel region.

The US has been providing valuable support to Niger in the fight against extremist groups, including al-Qaeda and ISIS. Without US military personnel and resources, Niger may struggle to maintain security and stability in the region.

From the US perspective, the suspension of military cooperation with Niger undermines their efforts to counter terrorism in Africa. Niger is a crucial partner in the US’ counterterrorism strategy in the Sahel, and losing their support will create a significant gap in US operations. It may also affect intelligence gathering and surveillance capabilities, as well as the ability to conduct targeted airstrikes against extremist groups.

The reasons behind Niger’s decision to suspend military cooperation are primarily rooted in diplomatic grievances. The failure of the US delegation to follow standard diplomatic protocol and the perceived disregard for Niger’s sovereignty have caused significant frustration.

Nigerien officials feel that they were not given proper respect and were not granted the opportunity to have a say in the partnerships that will ultimately impact their country’s security. 

A drone base known as Air Base 201 near Agadez was built at a cost of more than $100m. Since 2018 the base has been used to target ISIL (ISIS) fighters and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region.

Reporting from Washington, DC, says the move is “a huge blow to the US”.

“Niger is the centre of US operations in west and north Africa, notably at its Air Base 201, the most expensive construction project ever undertaken by the US government. It’s there for war on terror operations but it’s really there also for great power projection against countries like Russia and China.”

In October of last year, the United States officially labeled the military takeover in Niger as a coup. However, in December, the US envoy for Africa, Phee, expressed willingness to restore aid and security ties with Niger under certain conditions.

The military government in Niger has accused the country of engaging in secretive deals with Russia and Iran, an accusation that the government denies. Additionally, officials claimed that the US had threatened retaliatory action if Niger did not sever ties with both countries.

In response, a spokesman for the military government condemned the condescending attitude and threat of retaliation from the head of the American delegation. An anonymous US official confirmed that frank discussions were held in Niamey regarding the ruling military council of Niger, known as CNSP.

The official assured that they are maintaining communication with CNSP and will provide updates accordingly. Niger has been under military rule since July 2023 when President Mohamed Bazoum was detained by General Abdourahamane Tchiani and Tchiani declared himself ruler.

Similar to neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger has expelled French and other European forces, and both Mali and Burkina Faso have sought support from Russia.