CONGRESSMAN LIVID U.S. LOSING COSTLY NIGER BASE

Niger’s new assertiveness is not going down well in the US Congress.

Last month, Niamey announced the end of military cooperation with Washington - and in this clip, you can see how Republican US Congressman Matt Gaetz took the news. He lets rip his feelings at Commander General Michael Langley, the head of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM).

Gaetz points out that the US invested $500 million in Niger. According to investigative journalist Nick Turse, since 2016, it’s splashed out more than $250 million on Air Base 201 in the city of Agadez alone. The Agadez site - a drone base - is the biggest US military complex in Africa after Camp Lemmonier in Djibouti.

Niger kicking out the Americans comes on the back of a wave of anti-imperialist sentiment in the Sahel. Niamey, along with fellow Pan-African neighbours and allies Burkina Faso and Mali, has already said ‘au revoir’ to French troops. Will Ouagadougou and Bamako now also serve notice to the US?

What would you like to see happen?