(Voice of Paul) – Russian military personnel arrived in Niger this week, according to Nigerien state television, less than one month after the military junta announced that it was ending military agreements with the United States.
The arrival of the Russian men in military fatigues marked the first concrete step in a new security arrangement between Russia and Niger. State television identified them as “Russian military instructors,” and said they would be providing training and equipment to the Nigerien military.
The relationship between the United States and Niger, which for years had been a key Western ally, had grown tense after military leaders seized power in a coup last year and those ties further deteriorated after a trip last month by top U.S. officials to Niamey, the capital. Even after the Nigerien junta declared the U.S. military presence “illegal” and accused the delegation of condescension, U.S. officials continued to negotiate in closed-door talks over whether they could retain some sort of security presence in the country.
The arrival of Russian personnel appears to indicate that the junta is making it difficult, if not impossible, for the U.S. presence to continue, said Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow with the Clingendael Institute who focuses on Niger.
“This really leaves a black eye for Washington in Niger,” said Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “The arrival of Russian forces is the cherry on top.”
Hudson said the arrival of Russian troops also introduces a concern that they might eventually occupy U.S. bases in Niger. There are still more than 1,000 U.S. service members stationed in Niger, as well as a large drone base that U.S. officials say has been key for monitoring violent extremist groups.
The arrival of the Russian troops isn’t by itself a sign that Niger is making a full turn away from Washington, one U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive closed-door discussions with leaders in Niamey. A short-term presence of military trainers is a typical part of an arms deal, the official said, and Niger’s leaders already announced that they planned to purchase weapons from Russia.
“They claimed they don’t want the presence of Russian troops, but that they would need trainers,” the official said.
But the official said that talks continue.
“There’s a ceiling on the kind of relationship you can have with the United States depending on the kind of relationship you decide to establish with Russia,” the official said. “There’s a narrow path here to a deal that addresses their interests and concerns and our interests and concerns. So we may not be able to walk down that path. It’s still worth having the discussion.”
In its report, Nigerien state television specified that the Russians had brought an air defense system to ensure “total control” of Niger’s airspace. The report showed an airplane with a Russian flag on its wing being unloaded in Niamey on Wednesday night.