US to Complete Withdrawal From Niger by Sept. 15

NIAMEY/WASHINGTON—Niger and the United States have reached an agreement on the withdrawal of American troops from the West African country, a process that has already begun and will be finished by Sept. 15, they said in a joint statement. Niger’s ruling junta last month told the United States to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country. Until a coup last year Niger had been a key partner in Washington’s fight against terrorists in the Sahel region of Africa, who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more. The agreement between Niger’s defense ministry and the U.S. Department of Defense, reached after a five-day meeting, guarantees the protection of U.S. troops until their withdrawal and establishes procedures to ease the entry and exit of American personnel during the withdrawal process....