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U.S. Military Transfers Control of Bases in Niger Amid Rising Extremism
Explore the implications of the U.S. military’s transfer of control over bases in Niger. This move comes as extremism rises in the region, raising concerns about security and stability in West Africa.
U.S. Military Hands Over Control of Bases in Niger
The United States military officially transferred control of its two bases in Niger to local forces on Monday, marking the conclusion of a lengthy counterterrorism operation in the West African nation. This transition occurs amidst a concerning rise in violent extremism across the region.
A group of U.S. service members boarded an Air Force cargo plane and departed from a state-of-the-art air base in central Niger, a facility that cost $110 million to construct with Pentagon funding. This departure is part of the broader withdrawal of approximately 1,000 personnel, which the U.S. government had committed to completing by September 15. A small contingent of troops is expected to remain temporarily to finalize administrative tasks, according to official sources.
Relations between the U.S. and Niger, once characterized by close collaboration, have deteriorated significantly since the military coup that ousted the civilian-led government last year. Following the coup, the new military junta ordered the withdrawal of U.S. troops. Similarly, military governments in neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso have also demanded the exit of U.S. and French forces in recent months. As a result, American officials are now urgently seeking new security partnerships in coastal West Africa.
However, establishing these new alliances could be a protracted process, especially given the increasing threat posed by groups affiliated with Al Qaeda and the Islamic State, which continue to plague vast areas of the Sahel—a sprawling, semi-arid region south of the Sahara that has been the focal point of U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
“This situation complicates our ability to safeguard U.S. security interests in the Sahel significantly,” stated Maj. Gen. Kenneth P. Ekman of the Air Force, the senior American officer overseeing the withdrawal, during a recent phone interview from Niamey, the capital of Niger. “The threats posed by ISIS and Al Qaeda in this region are escalating daily.”
Indeed, a recent report from the United Nations underscored these concerns, warning that “complete destabilization of the countries in the region in the medium term remains a plausible risk.”