Niger and the United States have reached an agreement on the withdrawal of American troops from the West African country, a process that has already begun and will be finished by Sept. 15, they said in a joint statement. Niger's ruling junta last month told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country. The agreement between Niger's defence ministry and the U.S. Department of Defence, reached after a five-day commission, guarantees the protection of U.S. troops until their withdrawal and establishes procedures to ease the entry and exit of American personnel during the withdrawal process. "The withdrawal of American forces from Niger in no way affects the pursuit of relations between the United States and Niger in the area of development. Also, Niger and the United States are committed to an ongoing diplomatic dialogue to define the future of their bilateral relations."

Source: Daily Nation May 19, 2024 18:11 UTC