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The military has been in power in Niger since the coup in July 2023
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Issfou Djibo / EPA-EFE
The military government in Niger has terminated military cooperation with the USA.
The government had "decided, taking into account the interests of the population, to terminate the agreement on the status of US military personnel and civilian employees of the US Department of Defense on the territory of Niger with immediate effect," a government spokesman read out a statement on state television on Saturday evening.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said Washington had noted the statement.
It came after "open discussions" about the US's "concerns" about the "development of the junta," Miller explained in the online service X. The US government remains in contact with Niger's military government.
The US Department of Defense issued a statement to the same effect.
Just on Friday, a high-ranking US delegation completed a three-day visit to Niger that was intended to renew contacts with the military government.
The USA currently has around 1,000 soldiers stationed in Niger.
On July 26, the military overthrew the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum in Niger, took power in the country and increasingly turned to Russia.
Niger lies alongside Mali and Burkina Faso in a region that has become a stronghold for Islamist terrorist groups.
The country is also one of the most important transit countries for migrants who want to travel from Africa towards Europe.
Until the military coup, the country was considered the last democratic partner of Europe and the USA in the Sahel region.
In response to the coup, the EU stopped its budget support.
For the period from 2021 to 2024 alone, payments totaling at least 503 million euros were planned through a multi-year program.
svs/AFP