Suddenly Russia Occupies US Military Bases, What’s Happening?

#Suddenly #Russia #Occupies #Military #Bases #Whats #Happening

Thea Arbar, CNBC Indonesia

News

Sunday, 05/05/2024 06:30 WIB

Photo: Russian soldiers attend a ceremony to commemorate the 78th anniversary of Victory Day on Red Square in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday (9/5/2023). (Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The military junta in Niger asks 1,000 United States military personnel to ‘leave’. US troops themselves were previously in the country to oust the rebels.

Then the Russian military reportedly occupied the air base in Niger that housed US troops.

A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Russian troops did not mingle with US troops. But it uses a separate area at Air Base 101, which is located next to Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, the capital of Niger.

President Vladimir Putin’s military action places US and Russian troops in close proximity, at a time when the two countries are competing fiercely militarily and diplomatically in the Ukraine war. “(The situation) is not good but in the short term it can be controlled,” said the official, quoted by , Friday (3/5/2024).

The US itself built an air base in Niger at a cost of more than US $ 100 million. Since 2018, these drones have been used to target ISIS militants and the Al Qaeda-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen (JNIM).

“While the US message to Nigerien officials was not an ultimatum, it was clear that US troops should not be on base with Russian forces. They did not take that well,” the official said.

On the other hand, a two-star US general is said to have been sent to Niger to try to organize a “professional and responsible withdrawal”.

While no decision has been made regarding the future of US troops in Niger, the official said the plan is for them to return to the US Africa Command headquarters located in Germany

It should be noted that the US and its allies were forced to experience expulsion in a number of African countries following a number of coups. It is known that several new ruling groups want to distance themselves from Western governments.

In addition to leaving Niger, US troops have also left Chad in recent days. Its ally France has been expelled from Mali and Burkina Faso.

At the same time, those countries’ ties with Russia have strengthened. Africa makes Moscow a friendly country that does not have a colonial burden on the continent.

Mali, for example, has in recent years become one of Russia’s closest allies in Africa. Even Wagner Group mercenaries were deployed there to fight jihadist rebels.

Russia itself has described relations with the US as being below zero because of US military and financial assistance to Ukraine in the war which is now nearing the end of its second year. The Ukrainian war itself has been going on since 2022 and is a result of Kyiv’s desire to join NATO.

There has been no comment from representatives of Niger and Russia regarding this matter.

(mkh/mkh)