Niger: Senior US delegation holds talks on US troop withdrawal

A senior U.S. delegation held talks in Niger Wednesday to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from the country, after the Transitional Military Council (TMC) scrapped an existing security cooperation agreement between the two countries, the Pentagon said.

Niger’s Defense Minister General Salifu Modi received the Pentagon delegation led by Christopher Meyer, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations.

Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine said Tuesday in an interview with The Washington Post that Niamey had severed military cooperation with Washington over threats from US officials.

According to Zeine, the United States has threatened to impose sanctions on his country if it signs an agreement to sell uranium to Iran.

He explained his country’s desire for an orderly and safe withdrawal as soon as possible of US soldiers whose presence Niamey considered illegal, and before that the military council that came to power after a coup at the end of last July expelled French forces.

About 650 US troops and several hundred contract workers are stationed in the West African Niger as part of regional efforts to combat militant groups.

In April, Washington expressed its acceptance of the withdrawal of its troops, most of which are located at a drone base near Agadez in the north, which cost $100 million to build.