U.S Withdrawal from Niger a Mistake

After “difficult” negotiations, the U.S. and the government of Niger have agreed to a complete withdrawal, by mid September, of U.S. military personnel from bases in Niger. Since the military coup last July, which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, relations between the U.S. and Niger’s military junta have steadily worsened. To that extent, at least, the recent announcement provided reassurance that our personnel would not simply be summarily ejected.

Some would have it that our departure from Niger is of little moment. A case for this proposition was made in late March here at National Review by Daniel DePetris. DePetris correctly noted that the purpose of our military presence in Niger was to “monitor” terrorist activity across the Sahel region of West Africa and concedes that this is a growing problem in West Africa. He observes that “one can reasonably expect to see more terrorist activity in Niger with less U.S. eyes in the sky,” noting, again correctly, that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda now view the region as their “main base of operations.” Finally, there is the acknowledgement that Russia and China, already well-represented across Africa, will likely take advantage of the opening provided by the U.S. departure.

After “difficult” negotiations, the U.S. and the government of Niger have agreed to a complete withdrawal, by mid September, of U.S. military personnel from bases in Niger. Since the military coup last July, which ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, relations between the U.S. and Niger’s military junta have steadily worsened. To that extent, at least, the recent announcement provided reassurance that our personnel would not simply be summarily ejected.

Some would have it that our departure from Niger is of little moment. A case for this proposition was made in late March here at National Review by Daniel DePetris. DePetris correctly noted that the purpose of our military presence in Niger was to “monitor” terrorist activity across the Sahel region of West Africa and concedes that this is a growing problem in West Africa. He observes that “one can reasonably expect to see more terrorist activity in Niger with less U.S. eyes in the sky,” noting, again correctly, that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda now view the region as their “main base of operations.” Finally, there is the acknowledgement that Russia and China, already well-represented across Africa, will likely take advantage of the opening provided by the U.S. departure.

About the Author

James H. McGee

James H. McGee is a nuclear security and counterterrorism professional. His most recent novel, The Zebras from Minsk, was featured among National Review’s favorite books in 2025.