Germany relinquished its control of an air base in Niger

Germany will relinquish control of its air base in Niger. This happened after Berlin failed to reach an agreement with the Nigerian authorities regarding the legal immunity of its military personnel, DPA reported.
The Niamey air base, a key factor in Western efforts to curb terrorism in the region, will be closed on August 31. All servicemen stationed there will return to Germany.
"The draft agreement submitted to us by Niger cannot serve as a basis for negotiating a status agreement either in terms of its nature or its content," the German defense ministry said.
The immunity of the German troops is not guaranteed, and the positions of the two sides are far apart.
Negotiations on a status agreement have been suspended, and cooperation and training projects provided by the German ministries of defense and foreign affairs will no longer take place.
Niger's army took control of the country in a coup on July 26 last year. However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius supported limited cooperation with the coup plotters under certain conditions. | BGNES