After a July coup, the West African nation announced in mid-March that the 2012 cooperation agreement had been “imposed unilaterally” by the United States.
Among the protesters gathered in front of the National Assembly Headquarters in Niamey were students and several prominent figures from the military regime.
Chants of “Down with American imperialism” and “The people’s liberation is on the march” echoed through the crowd.
While French troops were expelled by the end of 2023, approximately 1,000 American soldiers remain stationed in Agadez city in the north.
In late March, Niger stated that the US would present a proposal to “disengage” its troops from the country. While Washington declined to provide a comment, it mentioned reaching out to Niger for clarification.
Sheikh Ahmadou Mamoudou, a prominent religious leader, shouted, “They said they (the Americans) were going to leave, so let them leave in peace and quickly.”
While flags from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Russia were visible, organizers urged demonstrators to refrain from uttering insults against the US or burning its flags.
In March, Niger joined its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso in establishing a joint force to combat the long-standing jihadist rebellions plaguing the three nations.
These countries have shifted away from their former colonizer France and bolstered their relations with Russia.
