Both the United States and France have been asked by Niger’s new leaders to end their military presence in the country. But Germany, on the other hand, has just negotiated an agreement with Niamey to maintain its air transport base there, a decision which is not unanimous in Berlin.
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With our correspondent in Berlin, Pascal Thibault
THE mandate covering the German presence in Niger, with the air transport base near Niamey, expired on May 31. Due to lack of time to find a lasting solution, an interim agreement was negotiated: it is in force until August.
The base was used as a logistics platform for the Minusma mission in Mali which ended in December. The Bundeswehr (German army) will reduce its presence on site, from 100 people to 30 or 40 soldiers. The base will be on stand-by and can be reactivated if necessary.
Between now and August, negotiations between Berlin and Niamey will take place to find a long-term agreement.
The German Ministry of Defense informed the parliamentarians who are following these files. Not everyone supports the decision to stay in Niger, wanted by the government. Some criticize the risks for Bundeswehr soldiers, but also the absence of a Franco-German strategy in the region. This since French troops had to leave Niger at the end of December.
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