US and Russian soldiers are at the same military base in Niger.
Sources claim that the Russians have been utilizing a different hangar at the base, referred to as Air Base 101, and are not functioning alongside the Americans. However, one of the sources noted that it's not a vast area.
This Russian presence at the base has been causing significant issues between the US and Niger's military junta, which gained power in a 2023 coup. It also highlights concerns among US officials that Niger, which has been a vital foundation for US counterterrorism operations in the region for almost a decade, is drifting towards Russia.
In March, American diplomatic and military officials visited Niger and brought up the growing Russian military presence in the nation. They also raised doubts concerning the future of Air Base 101 and whether it would be turned over to the Russians, as per previous CNN reports.
Tensions escalated during the meeting, with officials stating it was confrontational, and just a few days later, Niger announced the termination of the agreement permitting US military staff and civilians to operate on their soil since 2014.
Now, the US military is collaborating with Nigerien authorities to execute a smooth exit of its troops from the nation. The Pentagon has confirmed this. The US plans to dispatch another delegation "hopefully ... this week," according to Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh in a recent briefing, to discuss the withdrawal of US troops from Niger further. The US is in the process of acquiring permission from the Nigerien government for military flights in and out of the nation.
Reuters was the first to disclose the presence of Russian troops in Air Base 101.
The increasing military alliance between Russia and Niger has been at the heart of the discord between the US and the Nigerien junta, according to CNN. In January, the two countries agreed to enhance their military ties, as stated by Russia's Defense Ministry. Russian news sources mentioned on April 11 that Russia was providing equipment and 100 military instructors to Niger, while one of the sources asserted that Russian troops had been in the nation well before April.
In the meantime, the US military has already pulled troops out of a French military base in Chad after the government requested their departure in March. A Pentagon spokesperson and other sources familiar with the matter told CNN on Wednesday that more than half of the US troops stationed at the French base in Chad's capital, N'Djamena, have already left the country and are now in Germany.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
