US officials announced that more than 1,000 American soldiers will leave Niger, a move that comes just days after Russia sent military forces and weapons to the West African country.
The withdrawal of a thousand American soldiers from Niger
According to the New York Times, US officials announced that more than 1,000 US soldiers will leave Niger in the next few months, reflecting security and counter-terrorism policies. A senior US State Department official, who did not mention his name, said that US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell expressed during the second meeting held this week in Washington expressed a clear position towards Nigerien Prime Minister Ali El-Zein.
First, the United States does not agree with Niger resorting to Russia to obtain security guarantees and looking to Iran in order to reach an agreement. A possible deal on uranium reserves.
Second, the United States is disappointed by the failure of Niger’s military government to chart a path back to democracy.
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According to the New York Times, over the past few weeks, American diplomats sought to salvage a revised military cooperation agreement with Niger’s military government, but ultimately failed to reach any compromise, The negotiations collapsed amid growing opposition to the US presence in Niger.
US officials said that discussions with Niger to plan an “orderly and responsible withdrawal” It will begin in the next few days, and the process will take several months to complete.
Previously, US forces were brought to Niger and stationed at the base Air Force 201 – a $110 million facility that has been in operation for 6 years.
However, since President Mohamed Bazoum was ousted and established a military government last July, the US military has remained here Almost inactive, most of the MQ-9 Reaper drones on base perform only the sole mission of aviation surveillance to protect the US military.
It is unclear what the possibility of the American army reaching this base after the withdrawal.
Washington fears that if Niger’s relationship with the Kremlin deepens, Russian advisers and perhaps even the Russian air force will be allowed to use the base.
Russia sends troops and missiles to Niger
On April 13, thousands of people in Niamey took to the streets to protest, demanding With the withdrawal of American forces, just days after Russia sent military trainers and equipment to Niger in the name of supporting the country in the fight against terrorism.
The French newspaper Le Monde said that late on April 11 Currently, Télé Sahel TV in Niger broadcast footage showing a Russian transport plane landing at Niamey Airport, accompanied by the announcement of the arrival of “the latest military trainer devices belonging to the Russian Ministry of Defense.” The French newspaper reported that Russia will help Niger “in installing An air defense system to be able to fully control the airspace.”
According to RIA Novosti, the Russian forces sent to Niger are members of the African Legion, a new paramilitary structure It was created to replace the Wagner Group.
One day later, April 12, the Russian African Legion confirmed its arrival in this West African country.
A member of the corps wrote on Telegram: “We are here to train the Nigerian army and help it use the equipment that has now arrived, which is designated for different military specializations.” , where The first batch of Africa Corps and volunteers arrived in Niger.
Le Monde newspaper said that the African Corps had been restructured after the death of the “leader.” Prigozhin in August 2023.
This group is currently under the command of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
And in December 2023, according to the Russian newspaper Vedomosti, it plans Russia to deploy the African Legion in 5 countries: Burkina Faso, Libya, Mali, Central African Republic and Niger. The new force will be directly subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense and will be supervised by Deputy Defense Minister General Yunusbek Yevkurov.
Grigori Lukyanov, a researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that the Corps The African is not like the Western and Asian security companies that have been operating in Africa for 30 years. They “not only provide security equipment or military training, but constitute a unique force capable of carrying out military operations.”
According to the New York Times, the sudden appearance of Russian forces and missiles Anti-aircraft weapons in Niger made the opportunity for cooperation, even in the short term, between the United States and Niger more difficult.
Protesters in Niamey on April 13 waved the Russian flag, along with other flags. Burkina Faso and Mali, two neighboring countries that previously requested Russia’s support to fight al-Qaeda terrorists.
America was subjected to an "ambush" From Russia
According to the French news agency, what happened in Niger shows that the United States was subjected to an "ambush" From Russia, and it is clear that Moscow is presenting its chess pieces strongly in Africa. Agence France-Presse said: “In an ambush, Moscow is waiting to seize opportunities in the region, stressing that Russia’s policy towards Africa is not only ambitious, but is being expressed increasingly publicly.”
Researcher Nina Willen, Director of the Africa Program at the Egmont Institute, said that there appears to be some form of consensus between Niamey and Moscow.
We are aware of the presence of at least 1,000 to 1,500 Wagner soldiers continuing to fight against terrorists in Mali.
Whelen confirmed that the Wagner Group recently acquired ownership of the Intahaka gold mine. In Mali, these matters because they mean that Russia aims for a long-term presence there. The same thing is happening in Burkina Faso.
Since January 2024, there have been at least 100 to 200 Russian soldiers. Now, the name of this force has been changed to the African Corps. –
According to the expert, it is important that the Afrika Korps forces are under the command of the Russian Ministry of Defense, so what is worth noting here is the potential impact of this force. It shows a clear strategy for Russia to expand its influence in Africa in general and in the Sahel region in particular.
It is worth noting that Africa is familiar territory for General Yevgorov: the Russian Deputy Minister of Defense makes regular trips To this continent, he often goes with General Andrei Avrianov of the Russian Military Intelligence Agency.
In August 2023, The Economist cited data from a survey conducted by Premise Data showing that more 60% of Nigerians consider Russia the most trustworthy foreign policy partner.
