In July 2023, army forces in Niger took control of the country, allowing them to retake control of the country. There was a lot of rumors that the military authorities would fit with Moscow and perhaps form ties with the Russian army or its associates in the months that followed.
This has now become a reality, to the disadvantage of American interests in the country. On Wednesday, April 10, a Russian helicopter arrived in the Nigerien money, Niamey, apparently carrying Russian military instructors and products, including a Soviet air defense system. It marked the start of a novel alliance between the military leaders of Niger and the Kremlin.
Hunderts of demonstrators gathered in Niamey to desire the withdrawal of American troops following the arrival of Soviet military equipment and experts. Since the two nations signed a military alliance in 2012, Niger has been at the forefront of US businesses in West and North Africa.
Since then, the US has announced that it will evacuate Niger’s more than 1, 000 defense officers. Bottom 201, a crucial US drone facility that has been engaged in activities against jihadist criminal groups in the Sahel region, will be closed as a result.
Top US officials visited Niger last month and expressed concern about the country’s possible ties to Russia and Iran.
Following the meeting, a spokeswoman for Niger’s defense, Colonel Amadou Abdramane, criticized the” patronizing attitude” of the Americans for denying the Nigerien persons the right to decide which places they mate with.
Just a few days after the Chadian air force captain halted all operations at a helicopter center close to the nation’s capital, N’Djamena, it has also been reported that the US will partially remove its forces from Chad. The drawback of US troops will likely follow that of the French army as Chad reevaluates its alliances and pushes toward Russia.
Washington’s attempt to halt Soviet control in troubled regions of Africa appears to be failing.
In recent years, nations along the Sahel, which includes Senegal and the Red Sea, have turned to Russia for safety support in response to growing regional volatility. Russian soldiers, for instance, have supported the Burkina Faso and Mali armed causes in their fight against rebel organizations.
Russia is now doubling down on its involvement in the region by strengthening its hold on a number of Sahel states and looking for new partners farther afield, a move that had put it in opposition to another world powers. The maritime West African states may well be the place of the next battle.
In change for proper exposure to the Atlantic Ocean, Russia’s pursuits on the West African coast appear to be in achieving military, political, and economic pacts with these leaders. This approach echoes how the US has power over the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, and Suez Canal thanks to the US military base in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier.
However, in recent years, ideology organizations affiliated with al Qaeda and the Islamic State have also sprang into Benin, Ghana, and Togo, which serve as a new plane for their businesses. Benin has experienced a particularly severe strike. In 2023, jihadist terrorist attacks on civilians almost tripled, from more than 30 to 80 %.
In an effort to stop the spread of these groups, the US is attempting to construct military aircraft outposts along the coast of West Africa. General Michael Langley, the captain of the US military aircraft that defends British interests in Africa, warned that Russian propaganda has “drowned out” US effect on the globe in his evidence to the US Senate on March 16.
The lion and the keep
Russia has harmony its efforts to influence Africa with its partnership with China. China has even worked hard to expand its influence on the continent under the administration of Xi Jinping.
Russia and China have a variety of interactions with African nations. To attract and keep partners on the peninsula, Russia uses diplomatic and military opportunities. Instead, China recruits American allies through development projects and high debt.
For instance, China is Djibouti’s largest borrower, holding more than US$ 1.4 billion in debt. In response to rising prices and a prolonged drought, Djibouti decided to stop paying its debt to China in 2023, a step up from Zambia’s.
China may reimburse its losses by recouping one or all of the tasks it has funded. These include the nation’s port and its global free business area.
Russia and China are not recognized as official supporters. However, their relationships have grown over the past ten years. Putin has been referred to as a “dear friend and colleague,” while Xi and the leader of Russia have also addressed his Chinese counterpart as a “dear pal”.
China has also agreed to develop its relationship with Russia more after a conference between Russia’s foreign secretary, Sergey Lavrov, and China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, in Beijing on April 9. In the future, the two nations may form partnerships with the same American allies, expanding the Kremlin’s impact on the continent.
Russia and the US are at odds with one another regarding their effect in Africa. The current position reflects the previous conflict over the division of Africa between big and emerging world powers, which could lead to proxy wars in those nations.
Foreign powers may be prevented from further worsening the situation under the pretext of counter-terrorism activities because Africa is currently grappling with widespread corruption and difficulties brought on by old-fashioned and puppet rulers, aggressive issues, and dictatorships.
Olumba E. Ezenwa is Doctoral Research Fellow, Conflict, Violence &, Terrorism Research Centre, Royal Holloway University of London and John Sunday Ojo is Doctoral Researcher at the School of Area Studies, History, Elections and Literature, University of Portsmouth
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