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The U.S. military completed its withdrawal from Air Base 201 in Agadez on Aug. 5.
The departure from AB 201 was completed more than a month ahead of schedule and was facilitated by the transparency and professionalism of both U.S. and Nigerien forces.
“We were able to complete the major phase of this withdrawal so quickly due to the cooperation with our Nigerien military counterparts,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Kenneth Ekman, Department of Defense West Africa Coordination Element Lead, U.S. Africa Command. “It continues at the military level and is affirmed at the political level by Nigerien authorities. The safe, orderly, and responsible withdrawal of U.S. forces and assets is made possible due to out 15 years of close collaboration with the Nigerien military.”
U.S. logistics personnel, in cooperation with the Joint Dis-en-gage-ment Commission, ensured personnel and assets were vacated from AB 201in a safe and efficient manner. The commission will continue coordination efforts to ensure the full withdrawal is completed by or before the planned date of Sept. 15.
“The U.S. service members I have met during the withdrawal have impressed me with their professionalism and commitment to their mission despite the unique set of challenges they have faced over the last few months,” Ekman said. “They and their families personify resilience. I was struck by the number of service members who insisted on staying until the very end to ensure the withdrawal was done well.”
In addition to ensuring the safety of all personnel and assets throughout the withdrawal process, U.S. and Nigerien forces effected an efficient turnover of facilities to enable Niger’s efforts to counter violent extremist organizations throughout the Sahel region.
Withdrawal efforts at AB 201 come two months after the first C-17 aircraft departed Air Base 101 in Niamey on June 7; withdrawal efforts there lasted one month.
