The new leaders in Niger have told the United States to withdraw all 900 of its troops.
NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Reserve and Guard members at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station they are often deployed, sometimes overseas, to potentially dangerous areas to serve our nation.
Now after the difficult, dangerous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, some people are worried about troops from the base who are on a mission in an African nation in political turmoil.
The flags of the United States and the West African Republic of Niger fly together in a 2022 Pentagon video at a US base in that country.
But now that long-standing military-security relationship could break after a military takeover coup in July 2023.
The new leaders of that country told the United States to withdraw all 900 of its troops. Most of them are located at two air bases in the country. This is even as some Russian troops are reportedly moving nearby.
Among those troops are said to be members of the Air National Guard’s 107th Attack Wing from Niagara Falls. The unit has reportedly been tasked with flying counter-terrorism missions using the MQ-9 Reaper drone to track suspected terrorist groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS operating in areas of North Africa.
Now the initial deployment for most of those troops has been extended as they are tasked with helping prepare for an “orderly withdrawal” from those bases by a Sept. 15 deadline.
With questions emerging about troop resupply and family concerns, last Friday we spoke with US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee. He told 2 On Your Side that he has been in contact with leaders of the US military’s Africa Command.
“We checked with Afri-Com, and Afri-Com believes that everything is stable and appropriate and well stocked. But because of the concerns of the family members of these troops, I will inquire further, so I will really understand, we have to evacuate Do service members have the supplies and water and food they need?
“I take these kinds of concerns from family members very seriously because sometimes they’re the first to know there’s a problem that hasn’t come up through the mandate yet. So I’m going to come back to it and address it more information to see how can I help.”
2 On Your Side has reached out to other congressional district offices for input and will follow this story.