According to the Télé Sahel network, they arrived on an Ilyushin Il-76 transport aircraft “military material and military trainers” from Russia.
The Russian Federation will “equip” Niger, initially “installing” an “air defense” system capable of “guaranteeing full control of our airspace,” Nigerian public television said, broadcasting nighttime footage of the long-haul carrier’s landing in the capital of the country.
The Russian instructors, the number of which was not specified, will “guarantee the quality training” of Niger’s military in the use of “the aforementioned system.”
“We are here to train Niger’s army, to help it use the military material it will receive,” material of “different” military purposes and specialties, one of the Russian trainers explained on state television. “We are here to develop Russian-Nigerian military cooperation.”
On March 26, the head of Niger’s military regime, General Abduraman Chiani, spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin to “strengthen” bilateral security cooperation, according to an official statement.
The two “heads of state exchanged views on strengthening cooperation in the field of security” between Moscow and Niamey, to “deal with current threats”, a phrase which apparently refers to the activity of jihadist organizations in the Sahel.
In mid-March, Niger denounced, with “immediate effect”, a bilateral military cooperation agreement with the US, calling into question the presence of more than 1,000 US troops on its soil.
Like its neighbours, Burkina Faso and Mali, Niger has been faced for years with repeated and bloody attacks by jihadist organizations, which pledge allegiance to either Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS).
In all three countries, civilian governments have been overthrown by military coups since 2020.
All three former French colonies turned their backs on Paris and reached out, economically and militarily, to new allies, notably Russia, while forming the Sahelian Alliance (SAA), with the ultimate goal of establishing a confederation.
In mid-January, Russia announced that it had agreed with Niger to “intensify” bilateral military cooperation. A Russian delegation visited Niamey in December for talks with military regime officials. Agreements were then signed to strengthen bilateral cooperation at the military level.
See why Instagram will “blur” some of your photos
Avalanche swept away and killed three skiers at a ski resort
Chinese pianist Lang Lang gets star on Hollywood Walk of Fame [Βίντεο]
#Russia #Niger #locked #military #cooperation