Niger, Russia agree to develop military ties as part of efforts to stabilize situation in Sahel

Filling the void left by French troops who withdrew from Niger just a couple of weeks ago, the Sahel country and Russia have announced an agreement to develop military cooperation as part of the efforts to stabilize the situation in the region.
Russian Deputy Defense Ministers Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Alexander Fomin met Niger’s junta-appointed Defense Minister Salifu Modi on Tuesday (16 January), according to the Russian Defense Ministry. It added that both sides welcomed the positive trends in the development of bilateral military and military-technical cooperation and outlined promising cooperation areas. During a working meeting, the senior officials also “agreed to invigorate efforts to stabilize the situation in the region”, the Russian Defense Ministry stated, adding that it aims to continue dialogue on “increasing the combat readiness” of Niger’s military.
Niger, under military rule since a coup in July last year, denounced security cooperation agreements with Europe and received first Russian officials with great fanfare in December, imitating the military rulers of Mali and Burkina Faso. As the last remaining French soldiers were leaving Niger, Deputy Defense Minister, Colonel General Yevkurov, was already being welcomed by Abdourahamane Tiani’s junta. The Nigerian junta in late November also put an end to one of the main pillars of European cooperation in Africa by repealing a law that penalized the illegal trafficking of migrants. The Sahel country’s uranium and oil reserves and its pivotal role in fighting Islamist militants in the volatile region give it economic and strategic importance for Europe, the United States, Russia and China.