Russian soldiers have taken up residence at a base in Niamey which also hosts the US army, a US official told Reuters, as Niger’s ruling junta demanded the departure of US troops deployed in the country.
The United States has around a thousand soldiers in Niger, between Niamey and Agadez, in the north of the country, where they are mainly responsible for surveillance and the fight against terrorism, including in Libya.
Washington tried to maintain its contingent after the coup against President Mohamed Bazoum on July 26, 2023, which resulted in the departure of French troops. But the junta in power in Niamey finally demanded his departure to get closer to Russia like its Malian and Burkinabe neighbors. Washington has since been preparing an orderly withdrawal.
In air base 101 in Niamey
According to a Pentagon official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, the Russian soldiers did not wait for the Americans to leave to take up quarters in a hangar at Air Base 101, located near the international airport of Niamey and also used by the American army.
When asked about this, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin downplayed any risk to US troops or the possibility of Russian troops getting close to US military equipment.
“The Russians are in a separate compound and do not have access to American forces or our equipment,” he said during a press conference in Honolulu. The safety of our troops is essential to me. But, for now, I don’t see a major problem here. »
According to the Pentagon official, the Nigerien junta informed the Biden administration of the deployment of 60 Russian soldiers in Niamey, a figure that the US military is unable to confirm.
