US hands over the last military base in Niger to the ruling junta

The U.S. has handed over its last military base in Niger — one of two crucial hubs for American counterterrorism operations in the country — to local authorities. The U.S. Department of Defense and Niger’s Ministry of Defense said in a joint statement on Monday that American troops have until Sept. 15 to leave the Sahel country. The handing over of Airbase 201 on Monday in the city of Agadez came after the U.S. troops withdrew earlier this month from Airbase 101, a small drone base in Niger’s capital of Niamey. In March, Niger’s ruling junta ended an agreement that allowed U.S. troops to operate in the Sahel region against groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State group.