US military completes withdrawal from final base in Niger

The U.S. has completed its withdrawal of military forces and assets from its last military base in Niger, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Niger announced in a joint statement Monday.

The completion marks the end of the United States’ counterterrorism mission in the country, even as violent extremism continues to increase across the Sahel region. The effort formally began on May 19, when U.S. and Nigerien leaders agreed to a phased withdrawal of American forces from Niger after being in the country for more than a decade.