- The Conclusion of Military Operations Led by the Federal Armed Forces in Niger's Western Region
The German Military wrapped up their operations in Niger after a span of eight years and retreated from their air transport center in Niamey. A military jet carrying the remaining 60 German soldiers touched down at the Wunstorf airbase in Lower Saxony on a Friday evening. At the same time, a second A400M type aircraft transported German supplies back from Niamey.
The aid post on the Niamey city outskirts was manned by around 120 German military personnel over the years. It served as a logistics hub for Germany's participation in the UN peacekeeping mission MINUSMA in Mali, which concluded at the end of 2023, upon the Malian military government's request.
Niger emerged as Europe and the USA's last ally in the Sahel zone's fight against terrorism, until the military coup last year. In July, the German Ministry of Defense announced its decision to abandon Germany's last military base in West Africa due to the inability to reach an agreement with the Niger de facto military government for continuation of operations.
Now, Niger is sharing ties with Russia. Initially, Germany planned to utilize the aid post as a base for potential actions in the strategic region post-Mali mission, such as evacuations or emergencies. Besides, Germany aimed to maintain a military presence in the region. However, Nigeria, like its neighboring countries, has shifted towards Russia and has hosted Russian military personnel - officially trainers - at their Niamey base for several months. Most previous partners have been expelled.
The German Ministry of Defense expressed concern over the UN and EU missions in West African Mali. Defense State Secretary, Nils Hilmer, stated, "The loss of over 200 soldiers in MINUSMA and EUTM Mali was an unacceptable price to pay for the region's meager political achievements." During their mission as part of the MINUSMA stabilization mission, three German soldiers were killed, and 13 were injured, according to the Defense Ministry. Hilmer labeled the departure of the last German soldiers as the end of a decade of German military presence in the Sahel region, which holds strategic importance due to its crises and conflicts affecting Germany and Europe directly.
Hilmer praised the soldiers' efforts following the July order to withdraw, terming it a remarkable military, logistical, and planning achievement. As early as April, the first Russian forces had established camp at the aid post previously run predominantly by France.
The German military's aid post in Niger reportedly cost around 130 million euros, as per the federal government's statement to the Left Party (BSW) parliamentary group headed by Sevim Dagdelen. The expense was incurred under the MINUSMA mission, which concluded in May. According to the statement, around 61.8 million euros were expended this year under the MINUSMA heading, which includes the return of German supplies. A total of around 3200 German soldiers were deployed in Niamey over the eight years.
For the withdrawal, the German military temporarily set up a second air transport support point in Senegal, which was ceased after the mission's completion. The German government holds a guarded and fenced area at the Senegalese capital's military airport for potential future German deployments. However, no German troops are present on-site.
Expert View: Shrinking Influence
Ulf Laessing, head of the Sahel regional program of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung based in Mali, told dpa that with the withdrawal of German troops, one of the last Western countries, after France and the US, would exit Niger, leading it to align more closely with Russia. "Germany is losing influence in a country through which a major migratory route to North Africa passes." Conversely, Italy shows more geopolitical insight by maintaining its troop presence in Niamey to prevent the country from drifting towards Russia.
The partners at the aid post, primarily German military personnel, played a crucial role in serving as a logistics hub for Germany's participation in the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali. With the shift of Niger towards Russia, many previous partners, including the German military, have been expelled.
