Russian trainers move to Niger airbase where small number of US troops remain
WASHINGTON — Russia has moved some troops to an air base in Niger, where a small number of U.S. troops remain after most U.S. troops left the base in the country’s capital Niamey, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The arrival of Russian trainers in the West African country about three weeks ago followed Niger’s decision to send all U.S. troops. The order was a blow to U.S. military operations in the Sahel, a vast region south of the Sahara where groups linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State operate.
The Pentagon has said U.S. troops will leave, but has not provided a precise timeline.
When Russian troops arrived last month, it was not clear where they were staying. A U.S. official said they are now on the other side of the Niamey facility, known as Airbase 101, and are not near U.S. forces. The base is located at Diori Hamani International Airport, where other international armed forces – such as the Germans and Italians – also reside.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss troop movements. It is not clear exactly how many American troops are still at the Niamey base.
The Russian presence at the base comes at a time when tensions remain high between Washington and Moscow over continued US support for the Ukrainian military.
About 1,000 U.S. troops are still in Niger, but the majority of them have been moved to what is called Airbase 201 near Agadez, some 920 kilometers (550 miles) from the capital, not long after mutinous soldiers overran the democratic had deposed the country’s elected president.
A few months later, the ruling junta asked French troops to leave and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.
In October, Washington officially labeled the military takeover a coup, prompting US laws that limited the military support and assistance the country could provide to Niger. Since then, diplomatic efforts to restore ties with Niger have failed.
Until recently, Washington viewed Niger as a key partner and ally in a region ravaged by coups in recent years, with millions of dollars invested in the Agadez base, which has been crucial to U.S. counterterrorism operations in the Sahel. The US has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training the Nigerien military since it began operations there in 2013.
The Pentagon has also said the US will move most of the roughly 100 forces it has deployed in neighboring Chad for now. Chad is also considering whether to continue its security deal with the US
Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters that the departure from Chad is “a temporary step as part of the ongoing review of our security cooperation, which will resume after Chad’s May 6 presidential election.”