Niger's state television RTN reported that Russian military experts have arrived in Niger to provide combat training and deploy air defense systems in the country.
According to Sputnik, the appearance of Russian military instructors took place before a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Abdourahmane Tchiani, Chairman of the National Council for the Defense of the Fatherland of Niger.
Russian military specialists have just arrived in Niger. Photo: OBOZ.UA
According to Akinyinka Akinyoade, a political analyst and senior Africa researcher at the Leiden Center in the Netherlands, theoretically, France's withdrawal from Niger created a vacuum in Niger's national order and security, making the presence of Russian troops inevitable. It's also not surprising that Russia agreed to help Niger given Moscow's growing influence in Africa. The expert noted that Russia has recently supported the governments of Mali and Burkina Faso, whose political, military, and economic situations are almost identical to Niger's.
France occupied Niger for over 60 years, until 1960, and maintained a presence in the African nation for a long time afterward. The last French soldiers left the Republic of Niger in December 2023. Prior to that, the French ambassador and diplomatic delegation were expelled from Niger in September 2023 after a dispute led the authorities to cut off the embassy's water supply.
KHANH MINH
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