Niger’s junta says US military presence is no longer justified

BY DALATOU MAMANE

NIAMEY, Niger (AP) — Niger’s junta said Saturday the U.S. military presence in the country is no longer justified, making the announcement on state television after holding high-level talks with U.S. diplomatic and military officials this week.

Niger plays a central role in the U.S. military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region and is home to a major airbase. The U.S. is concerned about the spread of jihadist violence in the region, where local groups have pledged allegiance to al-Qaida and the Islamic State extremist groups.

In reading the statement, the junta’s spokesman, Col. Maj. Amadou Abdramane, stopped short of saying U.S. forces should leave. He said Niger was suspending military cooperation with Washington and added that U.S. flights over the country’s territory in recent weeks were illegal.

The U.S. military in recent years began operating a major airbase in the Niger city of Agadez, some 920 kilometers