Russian Military Personnel Move Into Niger Air Base Housing Some US Troops

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Topline

Russian military personnel on Thursday arrived at an airbase in Niger's capital Niamey, where some U.S. troops are stationed amid an ongoing withdrawal of American forces from the country, Pentagon authorities confirmed.

Protesters gather as a man holds up a sign demanding that soldiers from the United States Army leave ... [+] Niger without negotiation during a demonstration in Niamey.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

Speaking to reporters in Honolulu, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin confirmed the presence of Russian personnel in Niamey's Airbase 101, but played down the possibility of them interacting with U.S. troops.

Austin said the Russians "are in a separate compound and don't have access to U.S. forces or access to our equipment."

Austin said he is focused on the safety of U.S. troops and will continue to keep a watch, but doesn't believe there is a "significant issue here in terms of our force protection."

An unnamed senior Defense Department official cited by Reuters said the situation was "not great but in the short-term manageable."

According to the Associated Press, Russian personnel who moved into Airbase 101 were trainers who started arriving in the country three weeks ago after Niger's military junta ordered all U.S. forces to leave.

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Key Background

Niger's military junta came to power last year after ousting the country's President Mohamed Bazoum in a coup. Bazoum was a key Western ally and Niger was at the center of U.S. military presence in the Sahel region of Africa. U.S. presence in the country was due to concerns over the presence of Islamic militants in the region with links to al-Qaida and the Islamic State. After taking power, the junta and its supporters opposed Western military presence on their soil, while expressing support for Russia and its leader Vladimir Putin. After talks with U.S. diplomats in March, the junta said U.S. military presence in Niger was no longer justified. Last month, the U.S. agreed to withdraw its forces from the country.

What To Watch For

Around 1,000 U.S. troops remain in Niger, but a majority are stationed at Airbase 201 near the city of Agadez—located more than 500 miles away from Niamey. The Pentagon has not announced an exact time frame to complete its withdrawal. The future of U.S. equipment and installations in Niger is also unclear.

Further Reading

Russian troops enter base housing US military in Niger, US official says (Reuters)

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