US military withdraws from Niger

NIAMEY, July 08 (YPA) – The US military withdrew on Sunday its personnel from the 101st Air Base in Niger near the airport in the capital, Niamey.

“Thanks to cooperation and effective communication between the Nigerian and American armed forces, the operation was completed ahead of schedule without any complications,” Niger’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense said in a joint statement.

US Air Force’s Maj. Gen. Ekman said: The focus will then shift to withdrawing from the $100 million drone base near Agadez in central capital, which has provided important intelligence on militant-linked groups, according to Reuters.

Last April, the ruling military junta in Niger called on that the United States to withdraw about 1,000 soldiers from the country, after last year’s coup in the West African country.

The ruling military junta has given the United States until mid-September to withdraw its forces from the Niger’s territory.

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