Loading ...The Arrival Of Russian Troops In Niger Will Reshape America’s Regional Calculations
While the possibly impending withdrawal of US forces from Niger is definitely a victory of sorts, the proverbial “Battle for the Sahel” in the New Cold War is likely far from over…
It was wondered last month whether the US could salvage its Nigerien base deal after the military authorities scrapped their partnership pact upon being disrespected by visiting American officials. The news that Russian instructors just entered the country on a training mission likely spells the end of the Pentagon’s influence there. The departure of US troops might soon follow, though it’s unclear whether it’ll due to the military authorities explicitly demanding it or voluntary to avoid Russia spying on them.
In any case, this is a monumental development since it means that Russian forces are now present in all three of the Sahelian Alliance/Confederation’s states after deploying to its Malian core several years back and then entering Burkina Faso in January. Their bloc also withdrew from ECOWAS later that month too, which bolstered their credentials as a new regional integration framework for others to join if they’re interested. The combined effect of all this is that Western influence in the Sahel was dealt a deathblow.