US military intervention in Niger

US military intervention in Niger
Part of Jihadist insurgency in Niger and War on terror (Operation Juniper Shield)
U.S. and Nigerien soldiers training in April 2018
Date February 5, 2013 – present (11 years, 3 months, 3 weeks and 4 days) Location Niger Status Ongoing The Niger military overthrows the government in the 2023 Nigerien coup d'état Niger's junta ended a military agreement that allowed US troops to be deployed in the country[7] US lost access to Niger Air Base 201, largest drone base in Africa built by the United States for $110 million[8] Beginning of new military cooperation between Niger and Russia[9] Jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and Boko Haram remain still active in Niger[10][11][12][13]
Belligerents
United States U.S. Armed Forces In support of:  Niger (until coup d'état)  France Operation Barkhane (2014–23)[1][2] Training:  European Union EUCAP Sahel Niger (2012–24)  Canada Operation Naberius (2013–24)[3]  Belgium[4]  Germany[5]  Italy[6]	Jihadists: Al-Qaeda Nusrat al-Islam  ISIL Islamic State – West Africa Province Islamic State in the Greater Sahara Boko Haram (partially aligned with ISIL since 2015)
Commanders and leaders
Joe Biden (2021–2024) Donald Trump (2017–2021) Barack Obama (2013–2017) Jim Mattis Thomas D. Waldhauser James C. Vechery Emmanuel Macron (2017–2023) François Hollande (2014–2017)	Iyad Ag Ghaly Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi † Abubakar Shekau † Abu Musab al-Barnawi Doundou Chefou Abubakar Shekau † Abu Umaimata
Strength
1,000 personnel[14]	ISIL-West Africa: ~3,500 fighters (April 2018) ISGS: ~300 fighters[15]
Casualties and losses
5 killed (1 non hostile)[16][17] 4 injured (2 non hostile)[18] 5 killed, 8 wounded (While operating with the United States)[19] 1 killed (non hostile) (while operating with the United States)[20]	32 militants killed in two separate attacks [21][22] Unknown killed in other attacks between 2015 and 2017[23] Unknown killed by drone strikes in Southern Libya At least 1 weapons cache

The US military intervention in Niger is the deployment of special operations forces and unmanned aerial vehicles by the United States in support of the Nigerien government and French military in counter-terrorism operations against militant groups in Niger as part of Operation Juniper Shield.^[24] The deployment of U.S. forces in Niger and in the greater West Africa region involves the training of host nation partner forces, enhancement of host nation security assistance efforts, and facilitates counter-terrorism and surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of host nation partner forces.^[25] The U.S. has deployed drones from the Air Force and CIA in order to assist American and Nigerien forces in counter-terrorism operations, monitor routes used by militants in Niger into neighboring nations, and to assist ongoing operations in Libya.^[26][27][28]

The deployment of US troops in Niger had been largely unreported until the 2017 Tongo Tongo ambush by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara militants left four American and four Nigerien soldiers dead.^[29][30][31] The ambush created controversy in the public and media with many people asking as to why the US had so many troops across Africa and specifically Niger which at the time had more than 800 US personnel in country.^[32]

In July 2023, the Nigerien coup d'état occurred, leading to the Nigerien crisis.

In April 2024, the US Department of State agreed to pull out all 1,000 US troops from the country.^[33] Pentagon confirmed that US troops will complete their withdrawal from Niger by mid-September 2024.^[34] After 11 years of US military presence, Jihadi groups linked to al-Qaida, the Islamic State group and Boko Haram remain still active with numerous attacks and dozens killed in Niger in 2023 and 2024.^{[35][36][37][38]}