Niger ends ‘profoundly unfair’ military deal with US: summary

What we know

• Niger's military government has declared the termination of an agreement with the United States, which permitted military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defense to conduct operations within Niger. This decision comes shortly after the conclusion of high-level discussions between the military leadership of Niger and United States diplomatic and military officials earlier this week.
• After ceasing power in July, the junta followed the example of neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso military rulers and looked to Russia for support while withdrawing from French and other European alliances, Reuters reports.
• Niger was previously regarded as a crucial regional ally for the United States. However, bilateral relations have deteriorated following the seizure of power by a military junta in July 2023, an event officially recognized by the US as a coup.
• Since the junta assumed control, the United States has gradually withdrawn a significant portion of its 1,100 troops stationed in Niger. Senior officials within the Pentagon emphasise the importance of maintaining a presence in Niger to combat terrorism in the region.
• In a letter addressed to Congress in December 2023, President Joe Biden highlighted that approximately 648 US military personnel remain deployed in Niger.

What they said

In a TV broadcast, the Niger military spokesman, Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane, said, “The government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, decides with full responsibility to denounce with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of military personnel of the United States and civilian employees of the American Department of Defense in the territory of the Republic of Niger,” CNN quotes. Adding that “this agreement is not only profoundly unfair in its substance, but it also does not meet the aspirations and interests of the Nigerien people. The government of Nigeria regrets the desire of the American delegation to deny the Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships capable of helping them truly fight against terrorists,” Abdramane said. Abdramane emphasised that Niger “forcefully denounces the condescending attitude of the US,” which is “likely to undermine the quality of our centuries-old relations and undermine the trust between our two governments.”