Russian military personnel have entered an air base in Niger that is hosting U.S. troops, a senior U.S. defense official told Reuters, a move that follows a decision by Niger's junta to expel U.S. forces.
The military officers ruling the West African nation have told the U.S. to withdraw its nearly 1,000 military personnel from the country, which until a coup last year had been a key partner for Washington's fight against insurgents who have killed thousands of people and displaced millions more.
A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian forces were not mingling with U.S. troops but were using a separate hangar at Airbase 101, which is next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Niger's capital.
The move by Russia's military, which Reuters was the first to report, puts U.S. and Russian troops in close proximity at a time when the nations' military and diplomatic rivalry is increasingly acrimonious over the conflict in Ukraine.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
How would you feel about your country's military base being taken over by a foreign power?
That would not be good for a foreign government to take over a military base they would have access to so much, whether its weapons or confidential information that could put the country in jeopardy.
@9MN92PC 2wks2W
It angers me that we can't spare some troops and keep Russia at bay
@9MMWDYL2wks2W
I would take measures to not allow such a thing to happen. If my country was about to lose the base then the base should be destroyed so as not to give any foreign country a base.
@9MMYQNH2wks2W
I would be scared for my future and the future of my country.
The US threatened Niger by telling its leaders "to refrain from engaging with Iran and Russia in ways objectionable to Washington if Niger wanted to continue its security relationship with the United States".
The result? US troops expelled, Niger decided to end the "security relationship" on its own initiative
The US continues to behave like the mafia: Selling security and threatening those who are not interested. It does this everywhere, not only in Africa, but also in Europe. But times have changed, everyone (excepts EU's current leaders) can see that the US is declining rapidly.
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
What impacts do you think the presence of a different country's military forces might have on the local population of Niger?
I think that is a complete disaster. The economy and security would suffer.
@9MMWDYL2wks2W
I think having another countries military will show anger and fear in Niger which could cause many deaths at worst.
Totally embarrassing lack of statesmanship and diplomacy. We have lost so much of the prestige and influence we once had around the world.
Russia has played such a tough game with America that it is severing all of its sturdy roots and will soon collapse to the ground
This reminds me of a remark made by former Chinese Foreign Minister Tiger Yang to the United States in Alaska, which goes something like this: "Let me make a point now， you are not qualified to talk to China from a position of strength, because the Chinese do not accept that."
This was the relationship between the US and "Developing Countries" all over the globe, from the moment of their independence from their former colonial masters: They fell into a quasi-colonial relationship with the US.
Hopefully, this second Liberation Movement will spread.
For 100 years already private corporations of yours and those in France have been draining Niger's resources of heavy billions of dollars, throwing them only some ridiculous sums as some kind of help.
Even though Niger has huge reserves of Uranium, 80% of the population is without electricity. You could have built at least one nuclear power plant for them.
Children are forced to work in the mines for a piece of bread, while you and your colleagues in the Biden administration take heavy millions from those corporations
@SeagullJoeRepublican2wks2W
The more anti-western sentiments you see in the Sahel, the more ISIS pops up out of nowhere. Randomly going from Iraq all the way to the Sahel as they express anti US sentiments, weird how that works
@ISIDEWITH2wks2W
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