Niger’s junta revokes military agreement with US

Niger's junta has ended a military agreement that allowed US personnel to be deployed in the country.

Saturday's announcement came in the week that a delegation from Washington had been in Niamey for talks with the country's military leadership.

The US used its base in Niger to monitor regional jihadist activity.

This latest announcement by the junta, in power since last July, comes as it moves closer to Russia and after French troops were kicked out in December.

"The US presence on the territory of the Republic of Niger is illegal and violates all the constitutional and democratic rules which would require the sovereign people… to be consulted on the installation of a foreign army on its territory," Niger's military spokesperson Col Amadou Abdramane said in a damning statement on national television.

He also alleged that the US delegation had accused Niger of making a secret deal to supply uranium to Iran. Col Abdramane described the accusation as "cynical" and "reminiscent of the second Iraq war".

And finally, he suggested that the US had raised objections about the allies that Niger had chosen. "The government of Niger therefore strongly denounces the condescending attitude combined with the threat of reprisals by the head of the American delegation against the government and the people of Niger," Col. Abdramane said.

Referring to Niger's governing military council by the initials CNSP, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on X that it was "aware of the statement… which follows frank discussions at senior levels in Niamey this week about our concerns with the CNSP's trajectory. We are in touch with the CNSP and will provide further updates as warranted."