After its decision to annul the military agreements signed with the United States (U.S), Niger appears to be preparing the grounds for new strategic partnerships outside its former western allies, making it a possible focal point for a major geopolitical race in the coming years.
Head of the country’s military government, Brigadier General Abdourahamane Tiani, spoke with Russian president, Vladimir Putin, on strategic cooperation between both countries.
Tiani had a high-level telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart on March 26, addressing issues of common interest at the national and international levels. The telephone conversation reportedly took place in the presence of senior Nigerien officials, including the Prime Minister and the ministers in charge of Defense, Interior, Foreign Affairs and the Presidential Office.
While expressing his condolences to Putin for the tragic terrorist attack at Crocus City Hall in Moscow on March 22 and also congratulating the Russian leader on his recent re-election as head of the Russian state, Tiani discussed cooperation between Niger and Russia, marked by Moscow’s support for Niamey in its quest for national sovereignty. He expressed his gratitude to his Russian counterpart for this solidarity.
Another issue discussed by the leaders was security cooperation and strategic project. Faced with current threats, the two presidents stressed the need to strengthen their security cooperation. They explored a mutually beneficial initiative that would involve “Multi-sectorial and comprehensive strategic cooperation project” between their two countries.
This development is coming on the heels of reports that the U.S. authorities appear reluctant to pull out of the country, which houses their largest and most expensive drone base, and a strategic base that provides a geographic advantage for the surveillance of the entire Sahel and the Maghreb regions.
Niger plays an important role for U.S. counterterrorism efforts in the Sahel region, which has been plagued by extremist violence. However, years of military presence in the region has not stopped the explosive growth of insurgency, spreading further across the region without any major military efforts to eradicate the scourge.
