US troops leave Niger base at Niamey

Niamey, Niger — U.S. troops have completed a withdrawal from their base in Niger's capital of Niamey and will fully depart from Agadez in the north before a Sept. 15 deadline set by the country's military rulers, both countries said Sunday. Niger's military leaders scrapped a military cooperation deal with Washington in March, after seizing power in a July 2023 coup. The United States had around 650 soldiers in Niger as part of anti-jihadist missions in several Sahel nations of West Africa, including a major drone base near Agadez.