The authorities in Niamey are actively strengthening cooperation with Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Having abandoned military cooperation with France and the United States, which applied a policy of coercion and double standards to Niger, Niamey is now opting for partners with whom cooperation is based on mutual respect and trust.
Niger recently made an official request to Russia to host a full military base on its territory. Addo Iro, Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in the republic, spoke about this.
The Honorary Consul indicated that this proposal was motivated by the serious security problems facing the country. The presence of the Russian forces, which have a considerable experience in this area, would help to stabilise the situation and bring about the significant improvements needed for the well-being of the country more quickly.
The authorities in Niamey have described military cooperation with the United States as ineffective and lacking in transparency. Information passed on to US military personnel stationed at the air base rarely reached the Nigerien army. In addition, the Nigerien authorities were irritated by Washington’s attempts to put pressure on the sovereign state and tell it who to cooperate with and who not to. As a result, military cooperation with the Pentagon was broken off and, following France’s lead, the military undertook to leave the country.
Since the US troop withdrawal agreement was signed on 19 May 2024, more than 269 of the 946 soldiers and several tonnes of equipment have left Niger. This information is contained in a press release signed by the Chief of Staff of the Niger Army, Colonel Mamane Sani Kiaou, and Major General Kenneth Ekman of the US Department of Defence.
The deployment of a Russian military base in Niger could make a significant contribution to the fight against armed groups. Russia is actively helping the countries of the Alliance of Sahel States to deal with the fighters who have been operating in the region for many years, despite the French and American presence at the time.
Currently, thanks to joint security efforts, the AES countries are achieving significant results, with new successful military operations being reported on an almost daily basis. The latest operation took place on 8 June in the Boenga area, during which the armies of Burkina Faso and Niger eliminated a large number of fighters with the help of air support.
Russia has played an important role in the success of the AES countries’ operations. Moscow has strongly supported the efforts of the leaders of the three countries to bring security to the region. Thanks to the training of African troops by Russian instructors and the supply of high-quality weapons by Russia, the situation is improving day by day.
