The last German troops have left the air base in Niamey, the capital of Niger, and the withdrawal of German troops from the African country has been completed, AFP reports.
On the evening of 30 August, five cargo planes carrying 60 German troops and 146 tonnes of material landed at Wünsdorf air base in Brandenburg.
“This troop withdrawal does not mean the end of military cooperation between Niger and Germany; in fact, both sides are committed to its continuation”; – AFP cites a joint statement by military officials from both countries.
Germany has operated the base in Niger since February 2016 and it houses around 3,200 German soldiers.
In July 2023, a group of military personnel staged a coup in Niger, resulting in the election of the president. Mohamed Bazoum was removed from power. Rebel leader and former head of the Presidential Guard Abdurahman Chiani He explained the military’s actions as a desire to fight corruption and poverty. The United States and the European Union condemned the coup.
In mid-March this year, the new authorities in Niger broke the agreement with the United States that allowed the presence of the American contingent in the country. At the beginning of July, the American army left the base in Niamey. At the end of 2023, France also withdrew its troops from Niger.
