US Troop Presence in Niger Has Been Almost Halved

The U.S. has decreased its troop presence in Niger by almost half according to figures in a White House letter sent to Congress last week.

The number of U.S. troops deployed to Niger appears to be 648, according to the White House letter, down by at least 400 since September, when military forces in Niger took over the government. In October, the U.S. officially recognized the events as a coup d’etat, which restricts what it can provide to Niger in terms of hundreds of millions in foreign assistance, military training and equipment.

In June, the U.S. military had 1,016 personnel in Niger, according to the President’s letter that month.

“Africa Command does not typically provide exact numbers or breakdown in whether those personnel are military, civilian or contractor, however the number in the War Power letter is consistent with the approximate number of uniformed military,” according to a spokesperson for U.S. Africa Command.