"Niger Junta Revokes Military Cooperation with US, Threatening US Military Operations in Sahel"

Niger's government has abruptly terminated its military cooperation agreement with the United States, following a visit by a senior US delegation to renew contact with the military junta that ousted the president and moved closer to Russia. The decision comes after the US expressed concerns about the junta's "trajectory," and the Pentagon has confirmed that movements at the US drone base in Niger have been limited since the July 2023 coup. The junta has also taken a hard line against former colonial power France and sought cooperation with Russia, while maintaining a distance from the full-fledged embrace of Moscow by military-run neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso.