U.S. agrees to withdraw troops from Niger

The U.S. has agreed to retreat its forces from nan West African federation of Niger, an charismatic confirmed to CBS News Friday.

A authorities section charismatic told CBS News successful a connection that successful a gathering Friday, Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Nigerian Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine "committed coming to initiate conversations successful Niamey to statesman readying an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S troops from Niger."

The 2 officials "affirmed nan value of nan bilateral narration and agreed to prosecute collaboration successful areas of associated interest," nan connection read.

There are astir 1,000 U.S. subject unit successful Niger.

Niger has played a cardinal domiciled successful nan U.S. military's operations successful Africa's Sahel region, and Washington is concerned astir nan dispersed of jihadist unit wherever section groups person pledged allegiance to al-Qaida and nan Islamic State groups.

Young boys stitchery connected apical of a car while displaying flags of Niger, Burkina Faso and Russia during a objection for nan contiguous departure of U.S. soldiers deployed successful bluish Niger connected April 13, 2024. Thousands of group demonstrated successful Niger's superior Niamey to request nan contiguous departure of American soldiers. AFP via Getty Images

Niger has been location to a awesome U.S. airbase successful nan metropolis of Agadez, immoderate 550 miles from nan superior Niamey, utilizing it for parented and unmanned surveillance flights and different operations. The U.S. has besides invested hundreds of millions of dollars successful training Niger's subject since it began operations location successful 2013.

But relations person frayed betwixt Niger and Western countries since mutinous soldiers ousted nan country's democratically elected president past July. Niger's junta has since told French forces to time off and turned alternatively to Russia for security. Earlier this month, Russian subject trainers arrived to reenforce nan country's aerial defenses and pinch Russian instrumentality to train Nigeriens to use.

In October, Washington officially designated nan subject takeover arsenic a coup, which triggered U.S. laws restricting nan subject support and assistance that it tin supply to Niger. In March, a U.S. delegation traveled to Niger to clasp discussions astatine elder levels to research whether it was imaginable to execute an statement respecting nan concerns of some sides, a State Department charismatic told nan AP.

In:
• Niger