from ABDULLAHI ABUBAKAR in Niamey, Niger
Niger Bureau
NIAMEY, (CAJ News) – NIGER’s termination of a military accord with the United States has been hailed as a ‘victory’ against neocolonialism.
It will culminate in the closure of the American military base in Niger.
The US’ expulsion follows a similar blow dealt against former colonial master France, which had military bases in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
This trio of Western African countries expelled the French before establishing their own joint military Alliance of Sahel States (AES) represented by new leaders of Burkina Faso Ibrahim Traoré, Mali’s Assimi Goïta and Abdourahamane Tiani of Niger.
France, like the US, has been widely accused of bullying and interference in former French colonies’ domestic affairs as well as complicity in dictatorial tendencies in the former colonies.
Colonel Amadou Abdramane, Niger government spokesperson, said the military government had suspended its military partnership with the US with immediate effect.
The move dealt a huge blow to the US military’s operations in Africa’s Sahel region, which is home to the American’s major airbase in West Africa.
Niger announced the decision over the weekend after senior US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Molly Phee, alongside the US Africa Command Head, General Michael Langley, had visited Niger.
“Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism,” said Abdramane.
Earlier the US had accused Niger of preparing an agreement with Iran on the supply of uranium to Tehran.
It thus is believed this was the cause of the military partnership suspension.
Auwal Tijjani said, “Niger is a sovereign nation and has all the rights to choose its trading partners, if Niger doesn’t want to trade or sell its uranium deposits to the West because of a poor balance of trade then it’s welcomed. Let Niger be, the United States should exit the Niger period.”
Zuko Fipaza observed, “Americans are behaving like a privileged kid who threatens not to play with you if you befriend someone they don’t like. They can go fly a kite. Niger has a right to do business with anyone.”
Adiges Harun remarked, “If Niger indeed does have an agreement with Iran to supply them with uranium, so what? The uranium belongs to Niger and they have every right to sell it to whoever they want to sell to… Even giving it for free to Iran and Russia.”
– CAJ News