Russian soldiers entered Air Base 101, located near Diori Hamani International Airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey. US troops are also stationed there, Reuters reported on Friday, citing an anonymous, high-ranking US defense official.
As the agency’s source noted, Russian soldiers use a separate hangar and do not mix with American military personnel.
– This is not the best situation, but it is manageable in the short term – said an American official quoted by Reuters.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, in turn, argued that he did not see any significant problem because “Russian troops had no access to American personnel or equipment.”
The Americans are withdrawing soldiers
The Russians appeared near the American base in Niger after most of the US soldiers had left it. Russian mercenaries arrived in the African country in early April, after the decision of the junta ruling Niger to order American soldiers to leave the country.
READ: Americans succumb to pressure and withdraw soldiers
The Pentagon announced that US troops would leave the Sahel region, but did not provide an exact timetable. Currently, the Americans are conducting talks with Côte d’Ivoire, where the commander of AFRICOM (United States African Command), General Michael E. Langley, has just completed a visit. As places for new bases, the Americans are also considering Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana, countries of the Gulf of Guinea, which are strategically located and can ensure control of the Sahel, which is struggling with the activities of Islamic terrorists.
Of these countries, Nigeria is in the best position and there are many indications that Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration may be favorably disposed to adopting a possible defense pact with the US.
photo-source">Main photo source: ISSIFOU DJIBO/EPA/PAP
