A US general and senior officials engage in discussions with the Niger junta.
A delegation, including a United States general and senior officials, visited Niger on Tuesday to meet with the ruling junta, marking a renewed contact following the ousting of the elected leader, expulsion of French forces, and a shift towards closer ties with Russia.
General Michael Langley, the commander of US Africa Command, is part of the delegation, which is expected to stay in Niger until Wednesday, as announced by the State Department. The purpose of the visit, according to a brief statement from the State Department, is to hold discussions with the junta regarding “Niger’s return to a democratic path and the future of our security and development partnership.”
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Despite the coup and subsequent restrictions on assistance to the government, the United States maintains approximately 1,000 troops in Niger at a desert drone base constructed at a cost of $100 million.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger a year ago to bolster support for Mohamed Bazoum
Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Niger a year ago to bolster support for Mohamed Bazoum, the elected president and a key ally in Western security efforts against jihadists. However, just four months later, Bazoum was deposed by the military and placed under house arrest. The junta adopted a tough stance against former colonial power France, resulting in the withdrawal of French troops stationed in Niger for nearly a decade.
While Niger’s military, which has collaborated closely with the United States, has not demanded the withdrawal of US forces, the junta has expressed interest in cooperating with Russia. However, it has not gone as far as the military-led neighboring countries of Mali and Burkina Faso in fully embracing Moscow.
Accompanying the delegation in Niger are Molly Phee, the top State Department official for Africa, and Celeste Wallander, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs.
