The last US soldiers in Niger have left the West African country. The withdrawal was a consequence of the military junta in Niger earlier this year terminating an agreement with the US that allowed American forces to operate in Niger.
The two countries agreed that the withdrawal would be completed by mid-September; the completion of the withdrawal was confirmed by American officials on Monday.
A smaller force will be allowed to remain to guard the American embassy, which is customary in diplomacy.
The withdrawal has implications for the US's influence in the region, as American military forces have been combating primarily Islamist terrorist groups with ties to IS or al-Qaeda and operating in the area. Niger was also seen as one of the Western-friendly countries in the region. The US and France had around 2,500 soldiers together fighting terrorist groups.
The military junta that took power in Niger last July announced early on that cooperation with Western countries would be terminated. Niamey has instead turned to Moscow for military support, which has begun.
