Niger Welcomes Russian Military Instructors and Equipment

Russian plane with military instructors and equipment has arrived Republic of the Niger after the United States agreed to withdraw its troops from the country.

The Niger RTN TV broadcasted this disclosure on its Facebook page, which announced the country had received the Russians in its military bases.

Before this, Niger had earlier received an Il-76 transport aircraft with humanitarian aid from Russia that arrived in Niger on Saturday.

However, following Niger’s coup on July 26, 2023, the Nigerien authorities sought the withdrawal of US troops from the country, which the US agreed to at the end of April 2024.

The Niger authorities subsequently declared the presence of the United States and its troops illegal. Hence, an alliance with Russia’s Afrika Korps troops to take over the $110 million US airbase built just six years ago.

The Niger authorities have since established ties with Russia after it was unable to reach an agreement with the US, now a former Western partner, on issues of “democratic morality.”

According to a report by African Initiative, “The presence of the Russian military at the international base, which was under U.S. administration, caused concern on the part of the U.S. command, and the military went on high alert.”

Also, American troops temporarily left Chad, and French troops finally left Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

Meanwhile, recent reports have shown an alleged proposal for Nigerian authorities under pressure to host the U.S. military bases on its soil, a move that has received public criticism and a call for the government to reject such a request.

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Mayowa Durosinmi

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M. Durosinmi is a West Africa Weekly investigative reporter covering Politics, Human Rights, Health, and Security in West Africa and the Sahel Region

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