Pentagon orders withdrawal of all 1,000 US troops from Niger: Report

The Pentagon has ordered the withdrawal all 1,000 United States troops from Niger this week, signaling the end of a 10-year presence in the West African country.

The withdrawal is expected to take place over several months, a U.S. official told Politico on Friday ahead of any formal announcement, but the troops will remain in the area and the timeline has not been finalized. The withdrawal does not include embassy security personnel, but other details on the military exit are still being worked out. 

The order comes a year after Niger experienced a military coup, which placed the military junta in charge of the country. The junta announced last month that it was ending its military cooperation deal with the United States.

The previous alliance with Niger played a notable role in combatting Russia's influence in the region. Since the collapse of the previous regime, Russian forces have entered the country and have been living on the same air base as U.S. troops in the capital of Niamey, for weeks. Officials claim the Russian forces do not pose a current threat to the American troops.

A U.S. delegation that includes Defense and State Department personnel is still negotiating the withdrawal with the junta.

“We do not want to speculate and get ahead of the discussions," a State Department spokesperson said.

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.