Withdrawal of American troops from Niger, Russia’s strategic victory

The Guardian writes that the United States will withdraw more than a thousand of its troops from Niger. This action, as this newspaper points out, will be a strategic victory for Russia.

This decision was made a month after the “military junta” ruling Niger canceled an agreement with Washington that allowed US troops to be present in the country to help fight terrorists and extremists.

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After March 15, when a representative of Niger’s authorities publicly declared the continued US military presence “illegal”, American officials expressed hope that behind-the-scenes talks could save the 12-year-old agreement between the two countries.

However, the United States finally conceded defeat after meetings this week in Washington between Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Niger Prime Minister Ali Lemin Zine.

Also yesterday, CNN reported that the United States is facing the prospect of losing a military base in the African country of Chad, as government officials have threatened to scrap a key security agreement, jeopardizing American influence in the region. .

The withdrawal, which is expected to take place in the coming months, means the closure of the U.S. drone base in Agadez, known as Base 201, which opened in 2018 and cost $110 million. As this publication reminds, the French troops had already been expelled from this country.

It seems that Niger’s action is taking place at a critical time for American interests in Africa, and at the same time American officials have warned that Russia’s influence is expanding throughout the African continent.