Nigerien public television announced the arrival of Russian instructors and military equipment on Wednesday. On Friday, Africa Corps, seen as the successor to the Wagner paramilitary company in Africa, confirmed its arrival in the country.
The Africa Corps group is seen as a new avatar of Russian influence in Africa after Wagner, whose famous leader Evgeni Prigojine died in a plane crash in 2023, shortly after an aborted armed revolt against Russian power. In December, a Russian delegation came to discuss with the Nigerien military in Niamey, and agreements strengthening military cooperation between the two countries were signed. In mid-March, Niger denounced with “immediate effect” the military cooperation agreement with the United States, calling into question the presence of a little more than 1,000 American soldiers in Niger and Burkina Faso. The Russian Federation will “endow” Niger and “install an anti-aircraft defense system” capable of “ensuring total control of our airspace,” added public television.