The European Union announced on Monday that it will end its military mission in Niger by the end of next June, due to the current political situation in the country, which is run by a military government.
Until the 2023 coup, Niger was an important partner for the West in sub-Saharan Africa in the face of growing threats from militants who have killed thousands and displaced millions.
The statement issued by the European Union indicated that “the Council decided not to extend the European Union’s military partnership mission in Niger beyond June 30, 2024, in light of the current dangerous political situation in the country.”
This decision comes in light of radical changes in Niger’s relations with the West, as the current military rulers pushed France, the former colonial power, to withdraw its forces, agreed to the withdrawal of American forces, and sought to strengthen their relations with Russia.
It is noteworthy that the mission was established in 2022, in one of the poorest countries in the world, and includes between 50 and 100 European soldiers there to help with logistics and infrastructure.
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