Russian army personnel enter Niger airbase the place some U.S. troops stay

Russian army personnel entered an airbase in Niger the place some U.S. troops are positioned, two U.S. officers confirmed to CBS Information.

Russians have been in Niger for a number of weeks because the U.S. negotiates the withdrawal of its troops from two airbases in Niger, one of many officers mentioned. Described by a second official as “trainers,” mentioned the Russians are positioned round two miles from the place a small variety of U.S. troops are based mostly at Niamey’s worldwide airport. Many of the roughly 1,000 U.S. troops nonetheless in Niger are at a second airbase about 500 miles away from the capital, within the metropolis of Agadez.

Earlier than a coup in Niger in July 2023 led to the demand that American troops go away the nation, the U.S. used the 2 bases to fly drones on counterterrorism missions within the Sahel area of Africa. 

The Russian presence on the bottom comes as tensions stay excessive between Washington and Moscow over the continued U.S. assist for Ukraine’s army.

A number of months after the coup, the ruling junta requested French forces to go away and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for safety help.

In October, Washington formally designated the army takeover as a coup, which triggered U.S. legal guidelines limiting the army assist and assist that it might present to Niger. Since then, diplomatic efforts to revive ties with Niger have been unsuccessful.

Till just lately, Washington thought-about Niger a key accomplice and ally in a area swept by coups in recent times, investing tens of millions of {dollars} within the Agadez base, which has been crucial to U.S. counterterrorism operations within the Sahel. The U.S. additionally has invested a whole lot of tens of millions of {dollars} in coaching Niger’s army because it started operations there in 2013.

The Pentagon additionally has mentioned the U.S. will relocate many of the roughly 100 troops it has deployed in neighboring Chad for now. Chad can also be contemplating whether or not to proceed its safety settlement with the U.S.

Reporting contributed by Eleanor Watson