Niger's military

Niger's government announced on Saturday that it was breaking off "with immediate effect" its military cooperation agreement with the United States.

The declaration came just a day after a senior U.S. delegation left Niger, following a three-day visit to renew contact with the military junta that ousted the president and moved closer to Russia.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday opens a week-long tour of Africa's west coast as he seeks to bolster U.S.-friendly democracies with security deteriorating in the Sahel.