US Vacates Base in Niger, a Step Closer to Pulling Out All Troops

The United States has completed the withdrawal of troops from a base in Niger’s capital of Niamey, a step closer to the full departure of U.S. forces at the request of the military junta ruling the West African country. Cargo aircraft carrying the last batch of American troops and equipment took off from Air Base 101, U.S. and Nigerien defense officials said in a joint statement issued on July 8. The U.S. military has relied on the base for operations against “violent extremism” in the Sahel, a belt of land spanning the width of Africa and separating the Sahara Desert in the north from the tropics to the south, according to the U.S. Africa Command....