General Abdourahamane Tiani, the leader of Niger’s military regime, held a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to discuss “enhancing security cooperation,” as stated in an official statement.
This dialogue follows a prior agreement made in January, when Niger Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine headed a delegation to Moscow aimed at bolstering military relations between the two nations.
Despite being one of the world’s most impoverished countries, Niger had previously collaborated closely with Western powers in combating insurgents in the Sahel region.
However, since the ousting of the elected president last year, Niger has shifted its focus towards Russia, viewing it as a promising defence ally.
The two heads of state “talked of the need for strengthening security cooperation… to face current threats,” said the Nigerien communique read out on public radio.
They also discussed “projects for multi-sector and global strategic cooperation,” it added without further explanation.
A statement from the Kremlin added the two expressed “readiness to start a political dialogue and to develop mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.”
“There was also an exchange of views on the situation in the Sahara and Sahel regions, with an emphasis on coordinating actions to ensure security and combat terrorism,” Moscow said.
Since assuming leadership following the July coup, General Tiani expressed gratitude to Putin for Russia’s “support” towards Niger and its quest for national sovereignty in the Sahel region.
In December, a Russian delegation paid a visit to Niger, indicating the growing engagement between the two countries.
Despite the presence of approximately 1,000 US troops in Niger, movements have been restricted since the coup, with Washington reducing assistance to the government.
Although a senior US delegation sought to renew ties with the junta in mid-March, they were unable to meet with General Tiani. The new regime has rejected military collaboration with Western powers, opting to distance itself from colonial connections with France.
Previously, Niger served as a significant hub for French military operations aimed at combating Islamist extremism originating from the Sahel. However, the new administration has denounced such cooperation.
In a move signalling regional solidarity, Niger, along with Mali and Burkina Faso, recently announced the establishment of a joint force to confront the enduring insurgencies across the three nations. Additionally, in January, they declared their intention to withdraw from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
