Agreement Between Niger And US Ends After It’s Termed ‘Profoundly Unfair’

The military government of the Niger Republic announced that it had terminated an agreement with the US that permitted military personnel and civilian staff from the Department of Defence to operate in Niger, just days after holding high-level discussions with US diplomatic and military officials this week.

“The government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, decides with full responsibility to denounce with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of military personnel of the United States and civilian employees of the American Department of Defense in the territory of the Republic of Niger,” Niger military spokesman Colonel Major Amadou Abdramane said in a statement on national television announcing the change.

Abdramane went on to say that Niger was forced to sign the 2012 deal, which went against the “constitutional and democratic rules” of Niger’s sovereignty.

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“This agreement is not only profoundly unfair in its substance but it also does not meet the aspirations and interests of the Nigerien people,” he said.

Formerly a significant regional ally, ties between the US and Niger have soured since the military junta took over in July 2023 in what the US officially called a coup.

The majority of the US’s 1,100 soldiers who were stationed in Niger have already been removed.

President Joe Biden reported in December 2023 that 648 US military forces were still stationed in Niger. The letter was forwarded to Congress.

The statement was made following a senior US delegation’s three-day visit to Niger this week.

Abdramane claimed that by withholding information about the US delegation’s arrival date, makeup, and purpose of visit, the delegation was received out of “courtesy” and “did not respect diplomatic practices.”

According to Abdramane, during talks, representatives from Niger and the United States of America talked about the military transition in Niger and their joint military cooperation.

“The government of Niger regrets the desire of the American delegation to deny the Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships capable of helping them truly fight against terrorists,” Abdramane said.

Abdramane stated that Niger “forcefully denounces the condescending attitude” of the US.

“This attitude is likely to undermine the quality of our centuries-old relations and undermine the trust between our two governments,” he said.

He also denied claims that Niger, Russia, and Iran had struck a covert agreement.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli