US Agrees to Withdraw Troops from Niger

The United States has agreed on Friday to withdraw its troops from Niger, as stated by several American officials who requested to remain anonymous.

Deputy US Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed to Nigerien authorities' request to withdraw the troops during a meeting in Washington with Prime Minister Ali Bongo Zin, who assumed power following the coup last July, according to US officials who spoke to Agence France-Presse.

The agreement includes sending a US delegation to Niger in the coming days to finalize the details of the withdrawal.

The US maintains just over a thousand troops in Niger, stationed at a base in the north, where they engage in combat against extremist groups.

However, their movements have been limited since the military took power.

Thousands of people in Niamey protested days ago demanding their immediate departure.

Following the July 26 coup, the military who seized power hastily demanded the departure of French soldiers, around 1,500 troops deployed to fight extremists, and canceled many military agreements with Paris.

The last French soldiers deployed in Niger as part of the war on terror left the country on December 22 last year.

Last month, the military regime in Niger canceled the military cooperation agreement with the United States with immediate effect.