The Washington PostDemocracy Dies in Darkness

The U.S. is in retreat in a crucial part of the world

Analysis by
Columnist
April 24, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. EDT
6 min

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For boosters of U.S. security interests in Africa, the past few days carried grim tidings. At the end of last week, the United States informed the coup-plotting leadership of Niger that it would comply with its request to withdraw U.S. forces from the country, which had been operating in a counterterrorism role there for more than half a decade. Around the same time, reports emerged that authorities in Chad had sent a letter this month to the U.S. defense attaché based there, ordering the United States to cease activities at a base that also accommodates French troops.