No final decision on withdrawing US troops from Niger and Chad, top official tells AP
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BOSTON, April 25, (AP): There has been no final decision on whether or not all US troops will leave Niger and Chad, two African countries that are integral to the military’s efforts to counter violent extremist organizations across the Sahel region, a top US military official told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement last month that allows US troops to operate in the West African country. The State Department said Wednesday night that US and Nigerien officials would meet Thursday in the capital, Niamey, “to initiate discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of US forces.”
That meeting comes as the two countries have been “unable to reach an understanding” to continue cooperation “in a manner that addresses the needs and concerns of each side,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said.
The government of neighboring Chad in recent days also has questioned its agreement with the US, Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Adm Christopher Grady, the nation’s second-highest-ranking military officer, said in an interview.
The agreements allow the US to conduct critical counterterrorism operations within the countries’ borders and have supported military partner training in both nations. The reversals have prompted concern that US influence in Africa is losing ground to overtures from Russia and China.
“We are all trying to establish ourselves as the partner of choice,” Grady said. “It’s up to us to establish why we think our partnership with them is important. We certainly want to be there. We want to help them, we want to empower them, we want to do things by, with and through (them).”
While US officials said Saturday that the military would begin plans to withdraw troops from Niger, they said discussions on a new military agreement were ongoing.
“There’s still negotiations underway,” Grady said. “I don’t believe there is a final decision on disposition of US forces there.”
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