The United States has completed its withdrawal from Niger, more than a month before the initially planned date of September 15. After the withdrawal of French soldiers and the announced withdrawal of the Germans on July 6, Italy remains the only Western force still present in the country. But over the months Russia has become the strategic and security partner of the military in power in Niamey.
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In January, Russia announced that it had signed an agreement with Niger to strengthen their military partnership. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the General Abdourahmane Tiani at the head of the National Council for the Safeguarding of the Fatherland in Niger, during a telephone interview discussed a cooperation project ” strategic, multi-sectoral and global “.
This exchange took the form of the arrival between April and May of three cargo flights containing military equipment, including an anti-aircraft defense system. Men described as ” Russian instructors ” by the Nigerian state communication and who are said to be linked to the Africa Corps company, ex-Wagner, have also settled in the country without their number being known. According to concordant sources, they are in charge of training the presidential guard battalion and work in close collaboration with the intelligence services.
Italy keeps a contingent on site
This new partnership is a 180-degree turn compared to the defense strategy of former presidents Mouhamadou Issoufou and Mohamed Bazoum. Before the coup d’état of July 2023, security collaboration with Western countries was favored. Among them, Italy is today the only one to maintain a contingent in the Nigerien capital.
Since 2018, these soldiers – who are said to number just over 200 – have been participating in the training of their Nigerien counterparts. They also provide assistance with border controls. The aim for Rome is to limit the flow of migrants to its shores. And to do this, Italy is giving itself the means: by carrying out numerous development projects in the country to prevent the departure of potential migrants.
Read alsoThe United States has completed the military withdrawal from its last base in Niger