Next week, a delegation from the United States is set to engage in discussions with the military administration in Niger following the termination of a military agreement between the two nations, as announced by state television on Friday.
In response to a coup in July, Niger declared last month that a cooperation agreement established in 2012 had been unilaterally imposed by the United States.
Tele Sahel TV reported that a prominent American delegation is scheduled to visit Niamey to assess the current state of cooperation and present specific proposals to enhance future collaboration with Niger.
This announcement came following Nigerien Prime Minister Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine’s visit to Washington.
During Zeine’s meeting with officials from the State Department on Tuesday, discussions revolved around reinforcing diplomatic, economic, trade, and technological ties, among other topics.
Tele Sahel highlighted Zeine’s unequivocal affirmation of Niger’s sovereign decision to request the withdrawal of all foreign forces, including American troops, during the discussions.
Additionally, Zeine engaged with World Bank representatives regarding the potential resumption of grants that were halted after the July coup.
In response to the coup, the United States significantly scaled back its cooperation, including military support, with Niger.
Towards the end of March, Niger announced that the United States would be presenting a proposal for the withdrawal of its soldiers from the country.
In Niamey, thousands of protesters gathered on Saturday demanding the immediate departure of approximately 1,000 US soldiers stationed in the northern city of Agadez.
Niger, along with its neighboring countries Mali and Burkina Faso—also under military rule—has shifted its allegiance away from former colonial power France and bolstered its relations with Russia. This realignment led to the expulsion of French troops at the close of last year.
