Russian soldiers enter Niger air base where American troops are located

Russian soldiers entered an air base in Niger where American troops are located, two American officials confirmed to CBS News.

The Russians have been in Niger for several weeks while the United States negotiate withdrawal of its troops from two air bases in Niger, one of the officials said. Described by a second official as “trainers,” the Russians are about three kilometers from where a small number of American troops are based, at Niamey international airport. Most of the approximately 1,000 American troops still in Niger are at a second air base about 800 kilometers from the capital, in the city of Agadez.

Before a coup d’état in Niger in July 2023 After demanding that American troops leave the country, the United States used the two bases to fly drones as part of counterterrorism missions in Africa’s Sahel region.

The Russian presence on the base comes as tensions remain high between Washington and Moscow over current U.S. support for the Ukrainian military.

Months after the coup, the ruling junta asked French forces to leave and turned to the Russian mercenary group Wagner for security assistance.

In October, Washington officially called the military takeover a coup, triggering U.S. laws limiting the military support and aid it can provide to Niger. Since then, diplomatic efforts to restore ties with Niger have failed.

Until recently, Washington considered Niger a key partner and ally in a region swept by coups in recent years, investing millions of dollars in the Agadez base, key to US counterterrorism operations in the Sahel. The United States has also invested hundreds of millions of dollars in training Niger’s military since it began operations there in 2013.

The Pentagon also said the United States would move most of the roughly 100 troops it has deployed to neighboring Chad for now. Chad is also considering whether to continue its security agreement with the United States.

Report contributed by Eleanor Watson