NIGER TELLS THE WORLD SUPERPOWER, USA " Take your troops and drones and leave now"

Communiqué.
The government of the Republic of Niger informs national and international community that, on March 12, 13 and 14, 2024, its representatives, under the authority of His Excellency Mr. Ali Mohamed Lamine Zen, Prime Minister, had a series of working meetings with an American delegation composed of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, head of mission Ms. Molly Phee, Dr. Céleste Wallander, Undersecretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, the General Michael Langley, Commander-in-Chief of Africom, and Mrs. Kathleen Fisbon, Ambassador of the United States of America to Niger.
In terms of format, the arrival of the American delegation did not respect diplomatic practices. Indeed, it was unilaterally, by verbal notice, that the American government informed the Nigerien government of the date of arrival and the composition of its delegation, as well as the Nigerien authorities it intended to met, without any details as to the purpose of his visit.
It is therefore out of courtesy and following our age-old traditions of welcome and hospitality that the government received the American delegation.
In substance, the exchanges between the two delegations focused mainly on the military transition underway in Niger, cooperation between the two countries, in particular military cooperation and the fight against terrorism, the political orientations and perspectives of Niger in their areas relating to the choice of partners on the diplomatic, military and strategic levels, as it is clearly understood in the American approach that, all these three questions are deeply linked.
Regarding the current transition and the return as soon as possible to a constitutional and democratic order, the government of Niger has reaffirmed its firm desire to organize, as soon as possible, the return to normal constitutional life. This is a solemn commitment, with full responsibility, from the President of the National Council for the Protection of the Fatherland, Head of State, as expressed in his address to the Nation on August 19, 2023. On the choice for its diplomatic, strategic and military partners, the government of Niger regrets the desire of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and the types of partnerships capable of helping them to truly fight against terrorism, even though the United States of America has unilaterally decided to suspend all cooperation between our two countries.
Therefore, the government of Niger strongly denounces the condescending attitude accompanied by the threat of reprisals on the part of the head of the American delegation towards the government and the people of Niger. This attitude is likely to undermine the quality of our centuries-old relations and undermine the trust between our two governments already damaged by the events of October 19, 2023.
Regarding the specific cases of the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, two countries with which Niger has maintained diplomatic relations for several decades and which particularly focus the interest of the United States of America.
The government wishes to bring to the attention of the Nigerien people and all people of the international community that it has never signed a secret agreement with its partner countries. All agreements signed by Niger since the advent of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Homeland respect international law and transparency rules.
This is why the government of Niger rejects the false allegations of the head of the American delegation, consisting of maintaining that it had signed a secret agreement on Uranium with the Islamic Republic of Iran.
This cynical approach, usually used to discredit, demonize and justify their threats against States, is reminiscent of the example of the second Iraq war.
Indeed, Nigeriens and the entire international community still remember the false evidence brandished by the American Secretary of State before the Security Council to justify American aggression against Iraq and that in this affair, the government of President Tandja had been falsely accused of having supplied uranium to the Baghdad authorities, even though it is public knowledge that the exploitation of Nigerien uranium is totally controlled by France.
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In view of all the above, the government of Niger, taking into account the aspirations and interests of its people, decides with full responsibility to denounce with immediate effect the agreement relating to the status of United States military personnel and civilian employees of the United States Department of Defence in the territory of the Republic of Niger. A diplomatic correspondence will be sent to the American side to this effect, made in Niamey on March 16, 2024.
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