It is not possible to know exactly when the Russians arrived in Niger and since when they have been at air base 101, which is next to Niamey international airport.
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US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin revealed this Friday that Russian security forces were deployed to the same air base as US troops in Niger in Niamey, the country’s capital.
According to international agencies, it is not possible to know exactly when the Russians arrived in Niger and since when they have been at air base 101, which is located next to Niamey international airport. “The Russians are in a separate compound and have no access to US forces or our equipment,” assured Lloyd Austin.
Since last year, the Nigerian junta that overthrew the democratically elected government has been trying to reconfigure strategic partnerships with international allies. French and US troops were recently asked to leave the country, while the Russians appear to have strengthened ties with Niger.
Asked about the latest developments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said only this Friday that Moscow is “developing ties with several African countries in all areas, including the military area.” The Russian presence on the African continent was, in recent years, largely ensured by the Wagner group, a Kremlin paramilitary force led by Yevgeny Prigozhin – killed in a plane crash last year after having challenged Putin’s regime due to disagreements over the war in Ukraine.
Russia has attempted to penetrate the African continent in various ways, often offering “stabilization packages” to the leaders of the continent’s countries.
After the military coup in Niger, the US army moved some of its forces in the country from air base 101 to air base 201, in the city of Agadez, so, according to The Guardian, it is not clear what type of military equipment remains at the base near Niamey airport where the Russians are now also located.
