After a three-day diplomatic mission, a high-level US delegation has departed Niger following discussions aimed at reestablishing communication with the junta that recently ousted the country’s democratically elected president and shifted closer to Russia.
Sources revealed that the American delegation concluded its engagements in Niamey on Thursday after holding meetings with various Nigerien officials, including Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamime Zeine.
Led by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee, the delegation, originally scheduled for a two-day visit, extended its stay by an additional day, as confirmed by a Nigerien government insider.
However, the delegation was unable to fulfill its planned meeting with junta leader Abdourahamane Tiani, as outlined in the initial program provided by the American side.
General Michael Langley, the commander of US Africa Command, was among the delegates representing American interests.
Despite the recent political upheaval and the curtailment of assistance by Washington, the United States maintains a presence of approximately 1,000 troops in Niger, stationed at a desert drone base constructed at a cost of $100 million.
The visit follows Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s rare trip to Niger a year ago, which aimed to strengthen ties with Mohamed Bazoum, the ousted president and a key ally in Western counterterrorism efforts.
The military’s swift ousting of Bazoum, followed by the withdrawal of French troops, underscored a significant shift in Niger’s foreign relations. Notably, while the junta has signaled openness to cooperation with Russia, it has not echoed the full embrace of Moscow seen in neighboring military-led administrations in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Niger’s military, long aligned with US interests, has not made any demands for the withdrawal of American forces from its territory.
