The United States Senate has rejected a legislation that would have required President Joe Biden to withdraw US troops from Niger, a West African country where military officers seized power in July.
The bill was defeated 86-11.
The legislation’s sponsor, Republican Senator Rand Paul, argued that the troops were improperly deployed without congressional approval and that Americans should not be caught in the crossfire of a conflict in Niger.
The Democratic chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Ben Cardin, warned that if Americans leave, Russia or its partner Wagner mercenaries might step in and fill the void.
This month, the US officially declared that there had been a military coup in Niger, leading to the official suspension of aid. However, US officials stated that there were no intentions to reduce the number of US troops stationed in the nation.
Niger has been a partner for Washington’s fight against Islamist insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more in Africa.
There are about 1,000 Department of Defense personnel in the country.
