Niger's decision to expel U.S. military forces in favor of closer ties with Russia has prompted U.S. officials to explore alternative partnerships in West Africa.
The top U.S. general is making a rare trip to Africa to discuss ways to preserve some of the U.S. presence in West Africa after Niger decided to kick out the U.S. military in favor of partnering with Russia in a major setback for Washington. Air Force General C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters before landing in Botswana on Monday for a gathering of African chiefs of defense that he was going to speak with several partners in the region.
The changing political landscape in West and Central Africa presents a dilemma for the United States. The region has seen eight coups over four years, including in Niger and its neighbors Burkina Faso and Mali. The juntas now ruling many of those countries are less willing to work with Western countries including the United States - whose military is legally barred from supporting governments that seized power through coup.
So far, the U.S. withdrawal from Niger is being completed on schedule ahead of a Sept. 15 deadline, U.S. officials say, with only about 600 troops remaining at Air Base 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in the capital Niamey. As the U.S. exits, Russia has deployed a number of military forces to the same base, where they are carrying out training activities. U.S. officials say U.S. and Russian troops have no contact with each other.
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