Pars Today

Pars Today- The US Defense Department "Pentagon" had to to accept the exit of its combat forces from Niger.

Politico, quoting from an American official speaking on condition of anonymity, announced that last week, with the loss of hopes for part of the American forces to remain in Niger, Pentagon issued the order for exit of the whole 1,000 forces from the country.

The US had announced in April that it would start the planning for "orderly and responsible exit" from Niger, but the American officials still keep negotiating with the military rulers of Niger to keep some of the forces in this African country.

Earlier, Niger was forced to play the pivotal role in Washington's military operation in the "Coast" region of Africa. This country had accepted a huge American airbase to be established there.

After the political developments in Niger, new rulers of the country took rapid steps in severing of military relations with the Western colonial countries especially France and the US; a move that has been followed with the support of the people of Niger.

Recently, Chad, too, has joined the African countries which are calling for the exit of the American forces. Presently, around 100 American military forces are settled in Chad.

Earlier, French military had been forced to leave Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Meanwhile, Jibrin Ibrahim, spokesman of the group of Leaders of Northern Nigeria, in an exclusive interview with Iran Press News Agency, expressing concern over the US and French talks with the Nigerian government for establishing of military bases in the country, said, "The experience of presence of the American and French military in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali showed that these countries were not permitted to control the bases of foreign military and their programs and the repetition of this experience is a serious challenge for the Nigerian sovereignty."

While the Nigerian president is talking with the US and France for presence of their military in the country, earlier the people of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, through unity, demonstration and accompanying of their governments, succeeded to expel foreign forces from their countries.

Requests for the exit of Western colonialist forces from countries such as Chad and Niger and, earlier, Mali and Burkina Faso, not only are tantamount to decrease of the influence of the US and its allies in Africa, but also it is a sign of a remarkable change in the geopolitical interactions. In fact, the decline of the military presence of the US and its allies in Africa and the Coast region can bring about numerous challenges for foreign policy of the Western governments whose consequences will be a geopolitical defeat for Washington and its partners.

Key phrases: Exit of US forces from Niger, US and Africa, France and Africa, independence of Africa, exit of Western forces from Africa    

 RM/ME