Russian military instructors land in Niger
Russian military instructors arrived in Niger on April 10th as the country and its junta-led neighbours strengthen their relations with Moscow, according to Reuters. The development follows a March 16th decision by Niger’s junta to revoke its military agreement with the US, which operates two bases in the country, and the expulsion of French counter-terror forces in 2023.
State television channel RTN showed footage military instructors and materials disembarking from a cargo plane, in the capital on April 11th
A man in camouflage and a face covering announced to the camera that “we are here to train the Nigerien army [and] to develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger.”. RTN also claimed that Russia had agreed to install an anti-aircraft system in Niger, with the broadcaster stating that the country’s airspace “will now be better protected.”
There was no immediate comment from the Kremlin which has endeavoured to increase its influence in Africa I recent years, promoting itself as a friendly country without a colonial legacy on the continent.
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Washington had expressed concern over Niger’s growing Moscow ties before the junta revoked their previous accord. The US has two military bases in the Niger, including a drone base that cost Washington over $100 million to build and around 1,000 personnel deployed on counter terror operations
Since 2020, a string of military coups across the Sahel have reshaped international efforts to tackle Al Qaida and Islamic State-aligned Islamist insurgents in the region. In 2023, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, known as the Alliance of Sahel States (ASS), expelled French troops that had been deployed on counter-terror operations across the Sahel for over a decade.
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As reported by AP, Niger’s ruling CNSP military council is yet to formerly expel US forces, although the arrival of Russian personnel throws future US-Nigerien cooperation into serious question.
Violence has only worsened in the Sahel in recent years. According to the US-based ACLED crisis-monitoring group, conflict fatalities increased by 38% in 2023 compared to the previous year. Burkina Faso alone saw over 8,000 conflict-related deaths in 2023.
Reuters / AP
