A joint special forces team move together out of a U.S. Air Force CV-22 Osprey Feb. 26, 2018, at Melrose Training Range, New Mexico. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Clayton Cupit)
The Department of Defense is repositioning some troops and equipment within Niger and will withdraw a small number of non-essential personnel, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told journalists on September 7.
According to Singh, some United States troops will be deployed from Air Base 101 near the capital, Niamey, to Air Base 201 in Agadez.
“There’s no immediate threat to US personnel or violence on the ground,” she said, describing the move as a “precautionary measure.”
Singh also said “some non-essential personnel and contractors” had departed the country weeks ago.
Before this movement, there were 1,100 troops in the West African country. The number of remaining troops is currently unknown.
Tensions have been mounting in Niger since President Mohamed Bazoum was overthrown by a group of military leaders last July.
The decision to reposition U.S. troops in Niger came after the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) revealed that Washington was considering the possibility of physically eliminating the leaders of the country’s National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, who led the military takeover.
According to the SVR, intelligence information shows that Washington is not satisfied with the recent developments in Niger.
“According to information received by the SVR, the U.S. is clearly not satisfied with the developments in Niger, where an interim government headed by General Abdourahamane Tchiani recently came to power as a result of a military coup. Washington is considering how not only to slow down the trend of Africa becoming one of the centers of power in the multipolar world, which is dangerous for the West, but also to take over the French legacy in the strategically important Sahel region,” the SVR press office said in a statement.
The Russian intelligence service accused the American intelligence services of “returning” to the practice of liquidating “inconvenient” leaders on the African continent.
“The White House is working on various options for strengthening democracy in Niger. It is considered unjustified to do this with the help of the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), which has close ties to Paris. The Americans consider the physical elimination of the ‘junta leaders’ who rely on the support of the majority of the population as a more ‘effective’ option. US intelligence agencies directly discuss the issue of potential perpetrators of possible assassination attempts with partners,” the SVR said.
As the service noted, faced with the “unexpected and extremely unpleasant for itself” “geopolitical awakening” of Africa, the White House “decided to resort to the old, what they call, proven recipes.
The U.S. has already voiced its support efforts by the ECOWAS to launch a military intervention against Niger’s new military rulers.
France, who maintains some 1,500 troops in the country, also supported the calls for a military intervention. Earlier this month, Paris warned that it will respond to any attack against its military and diplomatic facilities in the country after it ambassador was asked to leave.
A growing wave of anti-Western sentiment has followed the recent military takeover in Niger, which explains the state of panic in both the U.S. and France.
