The American intervention in Niger is the deployment of special operations forces and unmanned aerial vehicles by the United States in support of the Nigerien government and French military in counter-terrorism operations against militant groups in Niger as part of Operation Juniper Shield. The deployment of U.S. forces in Niger and in the greater West Africa region involves the training of host nation partner forces, enhancement of host nation security assistance efforts, and facilitates counter-terrorism and surveillance and reconnaissance missions in support of host nation partner forces. The U.S. has deployed drones from the Air Force and CIA in order to assist American and Nigerien forces in counter-terrorism operations, monitor routes used by militants in Niger into neighboring nations, and to assist ongoing operations in Libya.
The deployment of US troops in Niger had been largely unreported until an ambush outside the village of Tongo Tongo by Islamic State in the Greater Sahara militants left four American and four Nigerien soldiers dead. The ambush created controversy in the public and media with many people asking as to why the US had so many troops across Africa and specifically Niger which at the time had more than 800 US personnel in country. In 2018 the Trump Administration and the United States Africa Command laid out plans to withdraw around 25% of all US Military forces in Africa with around 10% withdrawing from West Africa so they could focus on threats from Russia and China while still remaining in the area.
In July 2023, the Nigerien coup d'état occurred, leading to the 2023 Nigerien crisis. In September 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will withdraw all 1,500 troops from Niger by the end of 2023, in the aftermath of the coup in the country. On 26 October 2023, the U.S. Senate rejected legislation that would have forced President Joe Biden to withdraw U.S. troops from Niger.
Background
In the last several decades, the Sahel region of sub-Saharan Africa has been heavily affected by the rise of Islamic terrorist groups and militias as a result of the region's porous borders, weak central governments, ethnic factionalism, and more recently an influx of arms following the collapse of the Gaddafi regime in Libya. Groups such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, Islamic State in the Greater Sahara, and Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa, among others have flourished in the region's sprawling and unpoliced deserts. Niger has been a particularly violent hotbed of Islamic extremism and anti-government attacks. Kidnappings of Westerners in the country date back to as early as 2009 and the execution of a French hostage, Michel Germaneau, in 2010 led to a French declaration of war on AQIM and a greater involvement of French military forces in Niger.
The United States had been providing security assistance to Niger following the September 11 attacks as part of the Pan-Sahel Initiative which included the allocation of equipment to security forces and periodic training of Nigerien forces by U.S. troops.
In January 2013, the United States and Niger signed a status of forces agreement to allow U.S. troops and aircraft to operate in Niger in a non-combat capacity in order to support French counterterrorism efforts. Niger's president, Mahamadou Issoufou, welcomed the deployment citing various threats exploiting local government's inability extend its control to rural areas. According to U.S. and Nigerien officials, the deployment of unarmed Predator drones was to provide surveillance capabilities over Mali and Niger. The following month, the Obama administration deployed a force of about 100 U.S. troops to Niger in order to facilitate the drone operation in Niamey and partner with French intelligence.
Attacks
Between 2015 and 2017, American personnel had been involved in at least 10 firefights while operating with partner Nigeriens. In these past firefights excluding the October 2017 ambush no American or Nigerien personnel were killed or wounded. In some of the attacks enemy combatants had been killed with at least 32 killed in the October and December 2017 incidents.