One is the country that occupied Ukraine. The other one is the one that supports the Kyiv army the most. But Europe’s Eastern Front is not the only international arena where Russia and the United States face off from afar. For example, there is Niger, an African state that is key to the stability of the entire region, the Sahel. And right here, near the capital Niamey airport, American and Russian troops found themselves sharing the same air base. It is a case that illustrates the situation of the country, which is on a collision course with the West and increasingly inclined to strengthen Moscow and its lawyers.
In July last year in Niger, a coup led by leaders of the presidential guard toppled president-elect Mohammed Bazoum, an ally of Washington and European countries. The new military junta, starting with the French junta (Niger is a former colony of Paris), immediately targeted Western troops and questioned the military cooperation agreement in force with the United States, believing it to be “unilaterally imposed” by Washington. American presence was now “illegal.” In mid-April, the United States agreed to withdraw more than a thousand troops from the country, but withdrawal methods are still being negotiated.
For now, a unit of the US Air Force guards the area and military equipment such as the unmanned aerial vehicle base near Agadez, which was built for about $100 million. The US military occupies a base near Niamey airport, the 101st air base. Russian forces also arrived here in recent days. Appeared Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, Moscow troops say “they do not pose a significant problem (…) in terms of the protection of our forces”. The Russians “are in a separate building and have no access to U.S. forces or our equipment,” Austin said. Asked at a press conference in Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov neither confirmed nor denied Russia’s presence at the base; He simply stated that Moscow is improving its relations with African countries in all sectors, including military.
In fact, Niger is only the latest in a series of Sahel countries, such as Mali and Burkina Faso, that are moving away from the West and closer to Russia and China. US troops have also left Chad in recent days. With the exception of Mauritania, the rest of the Sahel is increasingly moving away from the US and the EU. It is a strategic region in various aspects, a transmission belt between sub-Saharan Africa and the Northern Mediterranean, including migratory routes. Therefore, Italy has long been moving its diplomatic pawns in the region, including Niger. For now, Rome remains united Niamey. And he hopes to be able to continue doing that.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
