U.S. military forces were forced out of Airbase 201 in Agadez, Niger on Monday. Prior to the U.S. military’s withdrawal, Airbase 101 served as an important base for counterterrorism efforts in the region.
In a joint statement released on Monday by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of National Defense of the Republic of Niger, officials noted that the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Niger was initiated in May after the two countries finalized withdrawal conditions.
“The U.S. Department of Defense and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Niger announce that the withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets from Air Base 201 in Agadez is complete,” officials said in Monday’s statement. Officials added that coordination between the U.S. military and the Nigerien military will continue “over the coming weeks to ensure the full withdrawal is complete as planned.”
The Daily Wire reported that the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Niger is the latest foreign policy disaster to take place under the Biden-Harris administration and noted that the withdrawal is expected to negatively impact U.S. security and counterterrorism efforts amid growing instability in the Sahel region of Africa.
According to The Daily Wire, the United States had been working to improve conditions in Niger after the country’s military overthrew its democratic government last year. The outlet noted that the region is considered to be highly dangerous due to terrorist threats, such as ISIS and Al-Qaeda, as well as Russia’s growing influence in the area.
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“The security of the region is a grave concern,” Air Force Major Gen. Kenneth Ekman, who is currently leading the U.S. withdrawal efforts, told The Washington Post. “The threat has become worse — it has spread and become more acute. … And from a U.S. perspective, our access has been reduced even though our objectives have not changed.”
According to The Washington Post, while the United States was able to remove a significant amount of equipment, such as generators, drones used to target terrorists, and other sensitive equipment, from the base in Niger, the U.S. military reportedly left “dozens of vehicles” behind during the withdrawal effort.
Amid the U.S. withdrawal from Niger, Daniel Eizenga, a researcher at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, explained that terrorist attacks in the region have increased.
“It’s like a five-alarm fire for coastal West Africa, with all the red lights flashing,” Eizenga told The Washington Post. “The security threat has arrived.”
