The Pentagon announced last week that most of its soldiers will be withdrawn from Niger and Chad. U.S. Special Operations Forces had been active in both countries for over a decade training host nation counterparts. Niger is also home to a large U.S. military operated drone base.
"Shits going downhill," in the region, a U.S. governmental official assigned to a security role in West Africa told Connecting Vets. Since the coup in Niger which installed a military junta, that country has been questioning its relationship with the United States. Meanwhile, Chad has been pivoting away from America and seeking Russian security assistance. Russian war material and military trainers have also arrived in Niger.
"JNIM [Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin] and Al Qaeda is increasing their activity," the U.S. governmental official said. "Less attacks, but more deaths."
The U.S. military presence in the region was ostensibly a counter-terrorism one. Impoverished populations in the Sahel were seen as being at risk of radicalization, and U.S. Special Forces sought to prevent the region from becoming a safe haven for terrorist organizations. Other missions in the Sahel included rescuing missionaries who had been kidnapped and eventually, attempting to counter the sphere of influence of China and Russia.
"Cooperation is harder to accomplish due to 'external factors'" the American official stated, in regards to security cooperation with not just Niger and Chad, but also with Mali. "The whole Sahel is just unstable and shifting," he explained.
The State Department issued a statement that they would be meeting with Nigerien security officials this week, "to initiate discussions on an orderly and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces."