There are about 1,100 American troops in Niger to help in the fight against militant insurgency. / Photo: Reuters

The US troop withdrawal from Niger, at the demand of the West African nation's military rulers, has begun and will be over by September 15 "at the latest", a joint statement said on Sunday.

The two sides announced they had reached a disengagement agreement and American forces have started to leave after Niamey claimed their presence was illegal.

There are about 1,100 American troops in Niger to help in the fight against militant insurgency.

In March, Niger's military rulers said that a 2012 security cooperation agreement between Niger and the US was "unilaterally imposed" on Niger.

French troops expelled

Niger said the US had unsuccessfully attempted to coerce it to discontinue ties with Russia, which has already sent military instructors and equipment to Niger to fill the void left by French and now American troops.

Niger has already expelled 1,500 French soldiers from its soil.

In September 2023, Niger's military rulers said French troops had failed to fight insurgency despite being in the country for more than a decade.

French President Emanuel Macron had initially taken a defiant position toward Niger's military rulers, but eventually accepted to pull troops out of the West African nation. French troops left Niger in December.

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TRT Afrika and agencies