U.S. Searching for a Way to Keep Troops in Niger

A senior Pentagon official on Thursday sought to soften the impact of Niger’s recent decision to revoke its military cooperation deal with the United States, which has upended the Biden administration’s security strategy in a volatile swath of Africa.

The announcement by Niger’s military junta on Saturday, if finalized, could force the withdrawal of 1,000 U.S. military personnel and contractors from a country that for years has been a linchpin of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region, an arid area south of the Sahara.

But in testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday, Celeste A. Wallander, an assistant secretary of defense, told lawmakers that the junta’s pronouncement might not be as dire as first thought, and that U.S. officials were trying to find a way for American troops to stay in the country.

“The self-identified government of Niger has not asked or demanded that the United States military depart,” Ms. Wallander said. “There is actually quite a mixed message. We are following up and seeking clarification.”

Ms. Wallander said that for now, the junta has declared an end to formal military ties, but that “they have assured us that American military forces are protected and they will take no action that would endanger them.”

Last week a high level-delegation of U.S. officials, including Ms. Wallander; Molly Phee, the State Department’s top Africa official; and Gen. Michael E. Langley, the head of the Pentagon’s Africa Command, traveled to Niger to meet with members of the military junta.