Niger has suspended its military agreement with the United States "with immediate effect," announced Colonel Amadou Abdramane, the ruling military spokesman.

The agreement allowed US military personnel and civilian defense staff to operate from Niger, a country pivotal to the US military's operations in Africa's Sahel region and home to a major airbase.

The move comes after a visit by senior US officials, including Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Molly Phee and US Africa Command head General Michael Langley, to discuss democratic transition earlier in the week.

Colonel Abdramane criticized the US delegation for not following diplomatic protocol and failing to inform Niger about the composition, arrival date, or agenda of the visit.

"Niger regrets the intention of the American delegation to deny the sovereign Nigerien people the right to choose their partners and types of partnerships capable of truly helping them fight against terrorism," Abdramane stated on local television.

According to a White House report to Congress, the US military had approximately 650 personnel working in Niger in December. The US operates a significant airbase in Agadez, Niger, approximately 920 kilometers (572 miles) from the capital, Niamey, using it for manned and unmanned surveillance flights and other operations.

The drone base, known as Air Base 201 near Agadez, was constructed at a cost of over $100 million. Since 2018, the base has been instrumental in targeting ISIL (ISIS) fighters and Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM), an al-Qaeda affiliate, in the Sahel region. (ILKHA)