The U.S. military has completed its withdrawal from air base 201 in Niger, officials announced on Monday. This follows an order from Niger’s ruling junta, which demanded nearly 1,000 U.S. military personnel leave the country following a coup last year.
Air base 201, located near Agadez in central Niger, was a $100 million drone base that played a critical role in providing intelligence on Islamist militant groups before the coup.
A joint statement from Niger’s defense ministry and the U.S. military confirmed that personnel and equipment have been withdrawn. The statement noted that coordination would continue in the coming weeks to ensure the pullout’s completion.
“The effective cooperation and communication between the U.S. and Nigerien armed forces ensured that this turnover was finished ahead of schedule and without complications,” the statement read.
The junta has given the U.S. until September 15 to remove all troops from Niger. U.S. forces had previously vacated air base 101 last month.
Niger’s decision to expel U.S. troops followed a mid-March meeting in Niamey where senior U.S. officials expressed concerns over the anticipated arrival of Russian forces and reports of Iran seeking raw materials, including uranium, in Niger.
In April, Russia sent military trainers to Niger.
