The US Army begins developing a plan to withdraw its forces from Niger

American officials announced on Saturday that the United States will begin withdrawing its forces from Niger, in what experts say is a blow to Washington and its allies in the region regarding launching security operations in the Sahel region.

The US State Department told The Associated Press on Saturday that Niger's Prime Minister, appointed by the ruling military junta, Ali Al-Amin Zein, and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed on Friday that the two countries would begin planning for the withdrawal of US forces .

US officials did not provide a timetable for their withdrawal. An American delegation will be sent to coordinate the details of the withdrawal process soon.

The planned departure comes as US officials said they were trying to reach a new military agreement.

Niger plays a central role in US military operations in the Sahel region of Africa, an area located on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

Niger has a major American air base in the city of Agadez, about 920 kilometers from the capital, Niamey, and uses it for manned and unmanned reconnaissance flights and other operations. The United States has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger's army since it began operations there in 2013.

But relations between Niger and Western countries have been strained since rebel soldiers overthrew the country's president in July.