Hommam Al Nassim 
Germany and Niger reached an agreement allowing “the temporary stay of German forces” in the country after the previous agreement expired on May 31.
According to a statement issued by the German Defense Ministry, “The agreement allows the German air base in Niamey to continue operating with a reduced number of employees, giving the two countries time to negotiate a new agreement on the survival of German forces.”
There are about 100 soldiers at the German military base in Niger, and it was used as a logistical platform for the United Nations mission in neighboring Mali, which completed its withdrawal from the country at the end of December 2023.
The German weekly “Spiegel” indicated on Tuesday the existence of “secret negotiations” between Germany and Niger to maintain the German military presence, considering that the German army sees the presence of a small air platform in Africa as a strategic value, allowing emergency operations such as evacuating citizens.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius visited Niger last December, becoming the first European minister to visit the country after the military coup that ousted President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023.
It is noteworthy that Germany had previously announced its rejection of the military coup in Niger, stressing its position rejecting coups, in line with the positions of other European and Western countries.
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