U.S. seeks to keep troops in Niger after Niger calls their presence illegal

"Days after Niger’s military junta declared the presence of U.S. troops in that West African nation to be “illegal,” American officials are seeking in closed-door talks to determine if they can retain some sort of security presence in the country, which has been the United States’ closest regional ally. Niger signed a new security agreement with Russia, but it is not yet clear what is involved, and Russian soldiers are not currently on the ground in Niger." MS