Russian troops have entered Niger’s air base, where United States military troops are currently stationed. This was reported by the Reuters agency on Friday, citing an unnamed senior representative of the US Department of Defense. The move comes shortly after Niger’s government ordered US troops to withdraw from the country.
United States troops of roughly 1,000 personnel have been operating in the area since last year to protect civilians from violence by insurgents who have established a reign of terror in the country.
A military official told Reuters that Russian and American troops did not meet because they are in different hangars on the base. US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin also commented on the situation, stating that there is no danger of conflict. “The Russian troops are located in another area and do not have access to our troops or equipment,” the minister told reporters in Honolulu. “I am always focused on the safety and security of our troops, but now I do not see any significant problem in terms of our defense,” he added.
Niger is not the only African country experiencing civil unrest and violence. Coups are also taking place in other states, and insurgents who want to get rid of Western troops in their territories come to power. The United States had to withdraw from Chad, for example, and France had to leave Mali and Burkina Faso.
While the West’s influence in Africa is weakening, Russia’s is on the contrary increasing, which increases the already high tension between Russia and the USA. Russian-American relations were primarily damaged by the conflict in Ukraine, where the US is on Ukraine’s side. Changes in power relations in other parts of the world only worsen the situation.
The future of American troops in Niger is still uncertain. One of the army representatives only stated that he will probably return to the American command for Africa, which is located in Germany.
Correction: We confused the name of Niger with another country in the article. We apologize for the error.
