Hommam Al Nassim 
Thousands of people gathered in Niamey, Niger’s capital, on Sunday for a demonstration against the presence of US troops in the country, as the government beefs up security ties with Russia.
The demonstration was organized at the invitation of local community elders, with the participation of members of the military council itself, where demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of US and all foreign forces from Niger, including US forces operating a military base in northern Niger.
Momouni Amadou Jado, one of the organizers of the demonstration, said cooperation with Russia appeared promising in achieving security, while the long-term US presence had not brought any stability.
The ruling junta has not issued a formal order for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, but the arrival of Russian troops complicates the survival of Americans and raises doubts about the future of military cooperation between Niger and the United States.
Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger had previously announced their withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and France had ended its military presence in Niger.
Washington had seen Niger as a strategic ally in the region and trained local forces to counter the insurgency, but last summer’s coup, involving U.S.-trained elite forces, strained relations between the two countries.
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