The move by Russia’s military puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations’ military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.
In addition to the impending departure from Niger, U.S. troops have also left Chad in recent days, while French forces have been kicked out of Mali and Burkina Faso.
Russia has described relations with the United States as “below zero” because of U.S. military and financial aid for Ukraine in the war now approaching the end of its second year.
The U.S. official said Nigerien authorities had told President Joe Biden’s administration that about 60 Russian military personnel would be in Niger, but the official could not verify that number.
After the coup, the U.S. military moved some of its forces in Niger from Airbase 101 to Airbase 201 in the city of Agadez.
It was not immediately clear what U.S. military equipment remained at Airbase 101.
While the U.S. message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, the official said, it was made clear U.S. forces could not be on a base with Russian forces.
National security correspondent focusing on the Pentagon in Washington D.C. Reports on U.S. military activity and operations throughout the world and the impact that they have.
Russian military personnel have arrived at an air base in Niger that is housing U.S. s. personnel, a senior U.S. S. Reuters was informed by a defense official, the action coming after the junta in Niger decided to remove U.S. S. troops departing the nation.
The West African nation’s military officers have informed the U.S. s. to remove its roughly 1,000 military troops from the nation. Until a coup in the previous year, the nation had been a crucial ally of Washington in its battle against insurgents who had killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.
An elderly U. s. speaking under anonymity, a defense official claimed that Russian and American forces were not interacting. s. soldiers, but were utilizing a different hangar at Airbase 101, which is close to the international airport Diori Hamani International in the capital city of Niger, Niamey.
The Russian military’s action places U.S. S. and Russian soldiers nearby at a time when the military and diplomatic rivalry between the two countries is heated due to the situation in Ukraine.
It also makes one wonder about what will happen to U. S. installations in the nation after being removed.
According to the official, “(The situation) is not great but manageable in the short term.”.
A request for comment was not immediately answered by the Russian and Nigerien embassies in Washington.
The USA. s. and its allies were forced to withdraw troops from several African nations after coups that installed factions keen to break away from Western governments. Apart from the imminent exit from Niger, U. s. In recent days, troops have also departed Chad, and French forces have been expelled from Burkina Faso and Mali.
Russia is attempting to improve ties with African countries at the same time, portraying itself as a friendlier nation with no history of colonization on the continent.
For instance, Mali has emerged as one of Russia’s closest African allies in recent years, thanks to the deployment of the Wagner Group mercenary force there to combat jihadist insurgents.
Because of U.S. policy, Russia has characterized ties with the United States as “below zero.”. S. financial and military support for Ukraine in the conflict, which is nearing its conclusion in its second year.
The US. S. The official stated that although the number of approximately 60 Russian military personnel expected in Niger was confirmed by Nigerien authorities to President Joe Biden’s administration, the official was unable to confirm it.
Following the takeover, the U.S. s. the military relocated some of its personnel from Airbase 101 in Agadez, Niger, to Airbase 201. It was unclear at first what U. s. Airbase 101 continued to house military hardware.
Almost $100 million was spent by the US on the construction of Airbase 201 in central Niger. Armed drones have been used to target fighters for the Islamic State and al Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM) since 2018.
Washington worries that Islamic militants in the Sahel could be able to grow without U.S. assistance. s. forces and capacity for intelligence.
The request by Niger to have U. s. troops arrived subsequent to a mid-March meeting in Niamey, where senior U. S. Concerns were expressed by officials over the anticipated arrival of Russian forces and information that Iran was reportedly looking for raw materials, including uranium, in the nation.
Even though the U. S. The official stated that the message to Nigerien officials was not a demand; rather, it was made apparent that U.S. S. forces and Russian forces could not share a base.
The official said, “They did not take that well.”.
A U.S. with two stars. S. General has been dispatched to Niger in an attempt to coordinate a responsible and professional withdrawal.
However, no choices have been made regarding the direction of U. S. troops in Niger, the official stated that their intended route back to the U.S. s. The home bases of Africa Command are in Germany.
The word “official,” which was removed from paragraph 1, has been added in this story.
Register by going here.
Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, and Daphne Psaledakis contributed to the reporting; Idrees Ali wrote the article; Don Durfee and Daniel Wallis edited it.
The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles are our standards. Launches a new tab.
Over 60 nations have been the source of reports for Phil Stewart, including Afghanistan, China, Saudi Arabia, South Sudan, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, and Iraq. National security reporter Phil, an award-winning Washingtonian, has moderated security-related events at the German Marshall Fund and the Reagan National Defense Forum in addition to appearing on NPR, PBS NewsHour, Fox News, and other programs. He has won both the Joe Galloway Award and the Edwin M. Hood Award for Diplomatic Correspondence.
correspondent covering national security with a focus on the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Reports regarding U. S. worldwide military operations and activity, as well as their effects. has reported from more than twenty countries, covering much of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Iraq. from Pakistan’s Karachi.
