A top Pentagon official informed Congress that the U.S. has not yet received a formal request from Niger's junta to depart the country. The status of forces agreement, which governs the U.S. military presence in Niger, has been declared null and void by the ruling military council, known as the CNSP. However, the junta has assured that American military forces are safe and that no actions will be taken to endanger them.
Currently, there are approximately 650 U.S. troops and several hundred support personnel in Niger, a country that has historically been crucial for counterterrorism operations. Following the ousting of Niger's democratically elected president by mutinous soldiers last July, the CNSP requested French forces to leave.
