The new security cooperation between Niger and Russia is being established. Russian instructors arrived on Wednesday in Niamey, which also received its first delivery of Russian military equipment, Nigerien public television announced Thursday evening.
“This Wednesday, April 10, 2024, we witnessed the arrival in Niamey of an Iliouchine-76, a Russian wide-body aircraft, carrying latest generation military equipment with military instructors from the Russian Ministry of Defense on board. », announced public television Télé Sahel.
Objective: “develop military cooperation”
The Russian Federation will “equip” Niger and “install an anti-aircraft defense system” capable of “ensuring total control of our airspace”, said television, showing images filmed at night from the Russian wide-body aircraft upon landing at the capital’s airport. Russian military instructors, whose number was not specified, “will provide quality training” to Nigerien soldiers “for efficient use of the said system,” said public television.
“We are here to train the Niger army and help it use the military equipment that has just arrived. This is equipment of different military specialties,” said one of the Russian instructors. “We are here to develop military cooperation between Russia and Niger.”
On March 26, the head of the military regime in Niger, General Abdourahamane Tiani, spoke by telephone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss in particular the “strengthening” of their security cooperation. “The two heads of state” had “exchanged on the need to strengthen security cooperation” between Russia and Niger “to face current threats”, specified an official Nigerien press release, while jihadist attacks undermine the Sahel .
Niamey turns its back on Paris and Washington
In mid-March, Niger also denounced with “immediate effect” the military cooperation agreement with the United States, calling into question the presence of just over 1,000 American soldiers in Niger.
In Niger, Burkina and Mali, civilian governments have been overthrown by successive military coups since 2020. These three former French colonies have turned their backs on Paris and have moved closer economically and militarily to new partners, including the Russia, before regrouping within the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) with the aim of creating a federation.