Preparing to abandon two airbases critical to counterterrorism efforts: US Military official on Niger

Washington: Approximately 1,100 US troops may be required to leave two airbases that have been crucial to the country's counterterrorism activities, according to the commander of US Air Forces Europe and US Air Forces Africa, who spoke to media on Friday, Voice of America (VOA) reported.

Despite a top US general's assertion that a final decision is still weeks away, preparations for a potential US military pullout from Niger are already underway, according to Voice of America (VOA).

"We'll be ready if something happens," General James Hecker said during a virtual briefing with members of the Defense Writers Group.
"There's a lot of hypotheticals we can come up with why and if we should evacuate," he said. "We just have to be prepared for all of them … of course, we're hoping we use none."

For several weeks, US officials have been issuing warnings that if Mohamed Bazoum's reinstatement as president of Niger is not achieved, Washington may withdraw its assistance for that country, VOA reported.
However, despite these threats, the US has so far refrained from referring to the situation in Niger as a coup, a label that may have profound effects on the two countries' current military alliance.

A coup designation "certainly changes what we'd be able to do in the region and how we'd be able to partner with the Nigerien military," Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters earlier this week, VOA reported.
"We've been very clear it certainly looks like an attempted coup," she said.

"Niger is quite a critical partner to us in the region, and so we are hopeful that we can resolve this in a diplomatic way," she added.
The US currently has about 1,100 troops in Niger as part of a counterterrorism mission focused on al-Qaida and Islamic State group affiliates in the region.
Most of the troops are located at two air bases, Air Base 201 in the Nigerien city of Agadez, on the edge of the Sahara desert, and Air Base 101 in the capital of Niamey.
Air Base 201, a USD 110 million, US-built facility, has been especially pivotal for the counterterrorism mission, conducting drone flights with MQ-9 Reapers since 2019.

Hecker, on Friday, called the planning for a possible evacuation from the two bases prudent and precautionary, adding that his teams have considered scenarios in which they are called upon to evacuate civilians and even the US Embassy under duress, VOA reported.
Planning also is underway for possible alternative bases for US air assets should they have to leave Niger.

"We will obviously look to some other allies in the west [of Africa] there that we could maybe partner up with and then move our assets there," Hecker said.
"We've just started looking at that … where we would like the base to be," VOA quoted Hecker.
"But more of that is going to be diplomatic through the State [Department] on where we decide to go," he added.

At present, though, Hecker said there are few signs of tension between the Nigerien military and the US troops on the ground, VOA reported.
"Right now, there's not a need to go anywhere," he said. 
"That decision is not anywhere close to being made yet," Hecker added. "We have weeks, if not much longer before our civilian leadership is going to give an order."