With the departure of US forces from Niger… the Germans will remain in the country for a temporary period
Germany and Niger have reached an agreement that will allow temporary German troops to remain in the country until beyond May 31, when the agreement between the two sides expires.
The German Defense Ministry said in a statement that the agreement with Niger will allow the German air base in Niamey to continue its work.
The statement said the base would operate with reduced staff and that the two countries would have time to negotiate a new agreement on the German troop remaining in the West African country, which is ruled by a transitional military council that earlier expelled French and US troops.
The German military base in Niger has about 100 troops and was used as a logistical platform for the United Nations mission in neighboring Mali, whose withdrawal from the country was completed at the end of December 2023.
The German weekly Spiegel reported on Tuesday that there were secret negotiations between Germany and Niger in order to maintain a German military presence in the country.
The German magazine said the Bundeswehr sees a small air platform in Africa as having strategic value as it allows for emergency operations such as the evacuation of citizens.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius is the first European minister to visit Niger after the military coup that on July 26, 2023, overthrew civilian President Mohamed Bazoum.
The visit took place last December, and before that, Germany announced its rejection of the military coup in Niger, like various European and Western countries in general.
