NIAMEY April 24. 2024 (Saba) - The British newspaper "Financial Times" considered the decision of the United States to withdraw its troops from Niger as another strategic victory for Russia.
The newspaper said on Wednesday: "The departure of the US military is another strategic victory for Moscow in the Sahel region." A number of African countries are increasingly beginning to avoid contacts with Western partners, instead starting to increase and strengthen cooperation with Russia.
Earlier in the day, Niger's Interior Minister Mohamed Tumba confirmed that his country was interested in training local security forces by Russian military specialists and wanted to buy weapons from Russia.
The Pentagon announced on Monday that the United States had begun talks with Niger on withdrawing more than a thousand American troops from the country.
Niger's ruling military council announced last month the termination of the military cooperation agreement with the United States, deeming the presence of American troops on Niger's territory illegal and contrary to Niger's interests.
Niger's military government agreed to boost defence cooperation with Russia in January after expelling French troops on its soil as part of the "fight against jihadists in the Sahel region".
Earlier in April, Novosti reported that Russian experts had arrived in Niger to train local security forces in the fight against terrorism.
The agency quoted a Russian expert as saying: "The African Legion will establish relations here, as well as help form and train the Niger army.
E.M
resource : Saba
| more of (International) |