The Nigerien authorities' decision to terminate the country's military cooperation agreement with Washington with "immediate effect" took social media users by surprise, as it came shortly after a high-level US diplomatic and military delegation visited the West African country.
Many netizens on the X platform praised the development as a step towards achieving Niger's sovereignty and getting rid of the influence of Western "colonial" and "imperialist" powers.
"Good on this brave Nation & its Leadership!" tweeted one user. "US military presence is unlawful. Niger has no knowledge & say on US activities, pays aviation fees. US troops not assisting Niger."
Earlier, Nigerien military expert Bounty Diallo told Sputnik that the US military presence in Niger has not prevented the activity of terrorist groups in the country, adding that the Nigerien transitional government's decision to force the United States to leave the country is justified.
While defending Nigerien military authorities' decision, deemed "undemocratic" by the Western media, an X user argued that "there's nothing more democratic than protecting one's sovereignty and independence from foreign influence."
"This came after the US sent a delegation to Niger and pressured it to 'return to a democratic path', i.e., install a US puppet regime," commented journalist Benjamin Norton, the founder and editor of Geopolitical Economy Report.
Meanwhile, some social media users urged Western media not to refer to Niger's military leaders as a "junta," claiming that the word does not accurately reflect who they really are: "These are men stopping Europeans from stealing. Do not refer to them as a junta."
"They’re a new legitimate government devoid of colonial imperialism. They're not a Junta but a government," another user replied.
'Africa's Unification'
Some social media users hailed the suspension of military cooperation with the Pentagon by Niger, a member of the young Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which also includes neighboring Mali and Burkina Faso, as the beginning of the "unification" of the African continent.
"The AES is a true launching pad for Africa's unification," said an X user. "There was a time they even refused to meet [US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria] Nuland, yet she had flown in to meet them (military leadership)."
Another netizen expressed hope that the "Niger-Burkina Faso-Mali alliance holds up against colonizers and imperialists".
"Hopefully all African countries will do the same, decolonise from western imperialist bloodthirsty thieves, and become sovereign and independent," someone wrote.