Baghdad-INA
The United States on Thursday sent a delegation to Niger to begin direct talks with officials in Niamey regarding the withdrawal of more than a thousand American soldiers from the military-ruled country.
Niger was a major base for regional counter-terrorism operations, but the military junta that ousted the country’s president last year announced in March the end of the military cooperation agreement with Washington.
The United States announced last week that it had agreed to withdraw its forces this week and would send a delegation to Niamey within days.
The US Ambassador to Niger, Kathleen Fitzgibbon, and General Ken Aikman, the senior officer in the US Africa Command, are scheduled to meet with representatives of the Nigerien government on April 25 “to begin discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of US forces from Niger,” according to the US State Department.
State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said other Pentagon officials will hold follow-up meetings in Niamey next week, and Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell will visit Niger “in the coming months to discuss continued cooperation in areas of mutual interest.”
He added that the United States is proud of the security cooperation and “shared sacrifices” between the American and Nigerien forces that contributed to the stability of the region.
2024-04-25 04:42:35