Niger cuts security ties with US, leans towards Russian alliance

Niger has terminated its security agreements with the United States, shifting its allegiance towards a possible alliance with the Kremlin. This strategic realignment places Niamey on a similar path to its neighbors. In Africa, Russia has succeeded in drawing countries such as Togo, Burkina Faso, Chad, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, the Central African Republic, and Sudan closer to its sphere of influence.

The Russian government is actively seeking to forge stronger connections with Niger's leadership. Since July 2023, the country has been governed by a military junta, which appears open to this new partnership.

However, for such a close relationship between Moscow and Niamey to materialize, akin to Moscow's relations with other Western and Northern African nations, existing treaties must be dissolved and ties with Western countries must be severed. Consequently, Niger announced last week that it has ended its security pact with the United States.

In July 2023, Niger's military junta ousted the democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum. In December, following extensive anti-French protests in the capital, the newly established government prompted the withdrawal of French forces from Niger.

The leadership has expressed a desire to develop ties with authoritarian regimes, notably Russia and Iran. As per reports from the American Institute for the Study of War, the Nigerien junta believes such affiliations will solidify its grip on power. The cessation of cooperation with the USA is viewed as a "precondition for a future agreement" with Russia. This ambition is further reflected in the junta's strategy to obscure military and armament spending.

The shift poses challenges due to the continued presence of American military personnel and civilians in Niger, along with US military installations. Notably, this includes an American drone base established at a cost of over $100 million in 2018.

The security agreement formerly in place between Niger and the USA facilitated the stationing of approximately one thousand American soldiers and civilians in Niger. It also enabled the execution of military operations against jihadists in the African Sahel region from Nigerien soil.

Last year, the political upheaval in Niger led to widespread disapproval among ECOWAS member countries, an organization comprising West African nations. ECOWAS officials called for the restoration of constitutional governance. Despite discussions of military intervention, the situation was ultimately addressed through diplomatic means alone.

Source: PAP