PRETORIA, December 4. /TASS/. Niger has withdrawn from military cooperation with the European Union and rescinded its authorization to deploy an EU mission in Niamey, Reuters reported, citing Niger’s foreign ministry.

The European Union’s EUCAP Sahel Niger mission was established in 2012 to strengthen Niger’s domestic security and enhance its ability to counter various threats, as the European External Action Service (EEAS) said. About 120 mission officers are permanently present in the country.

According to Niger’s ANP news agency, on December 4, the country’s Defense Minister Salifou Modi and Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov signed a memorandum of understanding in the defense sector.

In late July, a group of military rebels in Niger announced the removal of President Mohamed Bazoum. The mutineers then established the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (known by its French abbreviation CNSP, for Conseil national pour la sauvegarde de la patrie), headed by General Abdourahmane Tchiani, to run the country. In October, the European Union announced unilateral sanctions against Niger.