Hundreds rally in Niger's capital to push for U.S. military departure
Marching arm in arm through central Niamey, the crowd waved Nigerien flags in a demonstration that recalled anti-French protests that spurred the withdrawal of France's forces from Niger last year after the army seized power in a coup.
One hand-written sign in English read "USA rush out of Niger," in a show of support for the junta and its decision in mid-March to revoke an accord that had allowed around 1,000 U.S. military personnel to operate on its territory out of two bases.
"We're here to say no to the American base, we don't want Americans on our soil," said protester Maria Saley on the sidelines of the march.
Until the coup, Niger had remained a key security partner of France and the United States, which used it as a base as part of international efforts to curb a decade-old Islamist insurgency in West Africa's Sahel region.
But the new authorities in Niger have joined juntas in neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso in ending military deals with one-time Western allies, quitting the regional political and economic bloc ECOWAS and fostering closer ties with Russia.
The arrival on Wednesday of Russian military instructors and equipment was further evidence of the junta's openness to closer cooperation with Moscow, which is seeking to boost its influence in Africa.
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