US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has confirmed that Russian forces are sharing a base with American troops in Niger, but downplayed concerns about the security of personnel stationed in the West African nation.
The move comes after Niger’s military government demanded that Washington withdraws its contingent of approximately 1,000 troops from the Sahel nation following the termination of a decade-old defense deal that allowed them to operate there.
Austin made the comment after an anonymous senior US defense official cited by Reuters admitted that Russian soldiers had entered an airbase near Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger’s capital, where American troops have been based.
The official reportedly said that although the Russian forces were using a separate hangar at Airbase 101, the situation “is not great” and only manageable in the short term.
Nigerien media reported last month that Russian military instructors had arrived in Niamey with equipment to train the national army in counterterrorism tactics. The landlocked country has turned to Moscow for its security needs; its transitional leader, Abdourahamane Tiani, discussed anti-terrorism cooperation in the Sahel region with Russian President Vladimir Putin in March.
The Pentagon announced last week that it will withdraw all troops from Niger while considering other options for continuing counterterrorism operations in the region. Washington had previously ruled out disengagement, even after French troops were forced to leave last year.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Thursday, the US Defense Secretary said there is “no significant issue” with the protection of American troops in Niger despite the Russian military presence.
“The Russians are in a separate compound and don’t have access to US forces or access to our equipment,” Austin said.
Responding to reports about the Russian military sharing a base with the US army in Niger, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow will continue to strengthen ties with African countries in several sectors, including defense.
“They are interested in this, and we are also interested. We will continue to develop our relations with African states,” he told reporters on Friday.