DAKAR, Senegal — Russian soldiers arrived in Niger this week, according to Nigerien state television, less than one month after the military junta announced that it was ending military agreements with the United States.
Russian soldiers in military fatigues said in the report that they would be providing training and equipment — specifically air defense system equipment — to the Nigerien military. Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Gen. Abdourahmane Tchiani on March 26 and discussed increasing their cooperation, particularly on security matters, the state television report said. Tchiani ousted Niger’s democratically elected president in a coup last year.
Video footage showed an airplane with a Russian flag on its wing that was identified as landing in Niamey, the capital, on Wednesday night. A man wearing a camouflage uniform and a neck gaiter who was identified as a “Russian military instructor” said his group had arrived “to train the Nigerien army, using the military materials that arrived here.”
The Russian deployment is part of a pattern in the region but is particularly significant in Niger, which until the coup was a strong Western ally on security issues. The Sahelian countries of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have in recent years been racked by violence linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, and military juntas have mounted coups against democratically elected leaders, citing the security situation.
The juntas’ rhetoric trumpets sovereignty and a rejection of France, their former colonial power, and they have increasingly looked to Russia and other partners for help on security matters. In Mali, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have been fighting alongside the army, while Burkina Faso welcomed Russian trainers earlier this year.
The American presence in Niger includes about 1,000 troops and a large drone base in the north of the country at Agadez. Gen. Michael E. Langley, who heads U.S. military operations in Africa, said the base has been key for “active watching and warning.”
Niger’s announcement that it was ending its military accords with the United States came on the heels of a trip to Niamey by Langley; Molly Phee, the State Department’s top official for African affairs; and Celeste Wallander, assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Junta spokesman Amadou Abdramane read a statement on TV after the visit denouncing “with force the condescending attitude” of Phee and saying that the delegation had tried to dictate which countries the West African nation could have relationships with, including Iran and Russia.
But in private meetings during the weeks that followed, U.S. officials continued to talk with the junta to determine if the United States could retain some sort of security presence in the country. One top U.S. official called the situation “dynamic,” with both sides exploring conditions under which the American military presence could continue.
The State Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on what the arrival of the Russian soldiers meant for such discussions. There have been no public announcements about a departure plan for the U.S. troops, who remain at their base.
Since the junta government’s announcement about the end of the military agreements between the United States and Niger, there have been growing calls among residents in the country for Americans to depart. Fliers for a protest against the U.S. presence that is scheduled for Saturday in Niamey call on Nigeriens to “come out massively” — echoing calls that last year preceded the departure of French troops.