Niger has withdrawn from the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), an international force fighting armed Islamist groups in West Africa’s Lake Chad region.
The government announced its decision on state television, citing the need to improve security around its oil assets at home.
The MNJTF, which includes soldiers from Nigeria, Chad, and Cameroon, has been working to stem the insurgency since 2015.
However, progress has been hindered by division and poor coordination, allowing armed groups like Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa to flourish in the region.
Niger’s withdrawal from the MNJTF comes amid rising militant threats and insecurity in the country.
The army has little control over large parts of Niger, and Islamist militants recently killed at least 44 civilians and injured 13 others in an attack on a mosque in the southwest.
The country’s junta, which overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum in 2023, has promised to restore security and announced a five-year transition to constitutional rule last week.
However, the impact of Niger’s withdrawal from the MNJTF on the mission’s future remains unclear.
