America's dominance in Africa faces a new challenge as Russia makes strategic moves in the continent, with Russian troops entering an airbase in Niger where American forces have long been stationed, according to BBC News.

US officials confirmed that Russian troops have been deployed to an airbase in Niger, where American troops have been stationed. This development follows Niger's military rulers ordering the withdrawal of US troops deployed to counter Islamist insurgents in the country.

While Russian forces are now present at an airbase in Niamey, the capital of Niger, they have not engaged with US troops already stationed there. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin assured reporters in Honolulu, Hawaii, that Russian troops pose no threat to US forces. He emphasized that the Russians occupy a separate compound and are off-limits to US forces, just as US forces are off-limits to the Russian camp.

According to Secretary Austin, US forces remain stationed at Airbase 101, a base of the Niger Air Force, with Russian troops occupying a separate compound. Despite the presence of Russian troops at the airport, there have been no confrontations reported.

Niger's military junta previously ordered the withdrawal of nearly 1,000 US troops stationed in the country following a military coup in July last year. Before the coup, Niger was a key partner of the United States in combating IS and al-Qaeda militants in the Sahel region of Africa.

The recent influx of Russian troops has raised concerns about the future of US military installations in Niger. While the situation is currently deemed manageable in the short term, questions linger about the long-term implications. Both the Niger and Russian embassies in Washington declined to comment on the matter.

The presence of Russian troops in Niger adds to the ongoing trend of US and allied forces withdrawing from several African states following military coups in the region. In addition to Niger, recent troop withdrawals have occurred in Chad, while French troops have exited Mali and Burkina Faso, signaling a shifting landscape of influence in Africa.

 

End/v7n/aj/dk