NIGER state television RTN reported on Wednesday that military instructors and personnel from Russia’s defence ministry have arrived in Niger, underscoring the deepening relations between the West African nation and Moscow, following the footsteps of its junta-led neighbours.
In a broadcast on Thursday, RTN aired footage showing a military cargo plane unloading equipment while individuals in military attire stood nearby. The deployment, according to RTN, follows a recent agreement between Niger’s junta and Russian President Vladimir Putin aimed at enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
‘We are here to train the Nigerien army and to develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger,’ stated a man in camouflage uniform, identified by RTN as one of the instructors. The man’s face was mostly covered by a neck gaiter as he spoke to the camera.
RTN also reported that Russia had agreed to install an anti-aircraft system in Niger, emphasising that this move would enhance the country’s airspace protection.
As of now, there has been no immediate comment from Russia. The country has been actively seeking to expand its influence in Africa, positioning itself as a non-colonial, friendly partner on the continent.
The arrival of Russian instructors comes after Niger’s decision in mid-March to revoke its military agreement with the United States. This agreement had permitted Pentagon personnel to operate on Nigerien soil from two bases, including a drone base constructed at a cost exceeding $100 million.
The Pentagon expressed concerns to Niger about its burgeoning ties with Russia before the junta terminated the accord, which governed approximately 1,000 US military personnel in Niger.
Since 2020, a series of military coups in Niger and neighbouring Mali and Burkina Faso have reshaped international efforts to combat Islamist insurgents linked to Al Qaeda and Islamic State in the region. The three juntas have terminated military agreements with longstanding allies like France, fostering closer relationships with Russia and forming their own cooperation pact, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
The region has witnessed escalating violence since the coups, with conflict-related fatalities in the central Sahel surging by 38 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the US-based crisis-monitoring group ACLED. Reports indicate that over 8,000 people were killed in Burkina Faso alone last year.
The instability has exacerbated a protracted humanitarian crisis in the region bordering the Sahara desert, which is already one of the world’s poorest. As of March, the International Organisation for Migration reported that over 3 million people were displaced in the area.
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