The commander of US forces in Africa (AFRICOM), General Kenneth Ekman, said that the withdrawal of US forces from Niger will be completed next month. He confirmed, in a press statement from the Ivorian capital, Abidjan, that “the withdrawal is going well.”
He added, “The matter is progressing on schedule, thanks to the excellent coordination we have had with our Nigerian military counterparts.”
He expected the withdrawal to end in early August, “long before the deadline agreed upon between the two parties, set for September 15.”
American forces withdrew from a military base in Niamey, at the request of the ruling military junta in Niger, in early July, with the exception of 200 soldiers who remain at the Agadez air base in the north of the country.
Referring to the American withdrawal from bases in Africa, Ekman pointed out that “the consequences for regional security are very worrying,” noting that “I was here talking to your military and government leaders, and we have the same concerns about the violent extremist threat, which is growing and increasingly threatening countries.” surrounding the coastal region.
He explained that the United States would continue to work with the security forces in Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire) but denied media reports stating that “the American army is looking to build a base in Odin, in the north of the country.”
It is noteworthy that American forces recently participated in the “Flintlock” military exercises in Ivory Coast, in which hundreds of soldiers from Western and African countries participated.
The American withdrawal comes in light of the growing national liberation movements, which are working to rid the country of traditional colonialism that has depleted the resources of the African continent.
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