Iran Press/ Africa: The news followed a meeting between Nigerien Ali Mahamane Lamine Zeine and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell in which, they agreed to develop a plan for the withdrawal of American forces, Iran Press reported citing several news agencies.
"The prime minister asked us to withdraw US troops, and we have agreed to do that," a senior State Department official told on the condition of anonymity.
The timetable for the withdrawal has not yet been determined, and negotiations on the next steps are expected in the coming days, reports said.
The announcement came just days after thousands of people hit the streets of Niamey demanding the immediate departure of US soldiers.
Niger hosts a large American airbase where Washington deployed its troops in 2012 under the pretext of fighting terrorism in the region despite the Nigerien public criticism and protests.
The relations between Niger and the West became strained after last year's military coup in this African country, with the military rulers first demanding the withdrawal of French military forces.
Niger’s former colonizer, France withdrew its forces in 2023 but some 1,000 American military personnel remain there.
The US tried to revise the current military agreement with Niger, but people in Niger have been demanding the withdrawal of European and American forces since the coup and the formation of a new government under Lamine Zeine.
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U.S. Military to Withdraw Troops From Niger
Demonstrations in Niger for the withdrawal of American soldiers
