US military 'completes' full withdrawal from Niger

The United States military has announced it completed its withdrawal from Niger, after the African country demanded that its troops depart.

The two countries "announce that the withdrawal of US forces and assets from Niger is complete," US Africa Command (AFRICOM) said in a statement on Monday.

"The safe, orderly, and responsible withdrawal was completed without complications, by the mutually decided date of September 15, 2024," AFRICOM said.

The United States had more than 1,000 troops in Niger as part of anti-militant missions in several Sahel nations of West Africa, including a major drone base near Agadez.

However, Niamey scrapped a military cooperation deal with Washington after the 2023 coup.

Niger in recent years has been a lynchpin in US and French strategy to combat militants in West Africa.

The July 26, 2023 coup in Niger has seen the new regime force the French and US military out of the country.

The US withdrawal from Niger kicked off in May, two months after the government said it was ending a military cooperation agreement with Washington, claiming the presence of US soldiers was now "illegal."

For around a decade, Niger has been grappling with bloody violence by armed groups linked to the Daesh terror group and Al-Qaeda, and has also had to contend with violence from Boko Haram.