Russian Forces in Separate Compound on Niger Base, No Access to US Forces

WASHINGTON, (Sputnik) - Russian forces are being housed on the same base in Niger but in a separate compound with no access to US forces until the withdrawal of the contingent of the United States from the country, a US official has told Sputnik.

"The Russians are housed in a separate compound and do not have access to US forces, spaces, or equipment," the official said. "We continue to monitor the situation and to take all necessary and prudent measures to ensure the security of US forces, facilities, and equipment."

The official noted that Russian forces arrived a few weeks ago at Air Base 101, a Nigerien Air Force base that is co-located with the international airport in Niger’s capital, Niamey.

On April 12, a Sputnik correspondent reported that Russian specialists have arrived in Niger to train local forces on combating terrorism.

Washington and Niamey recently began discussions for the "orderly withdrawal" of US servicepeople based in Niger. The military pullout was initiated in March after a Nigerien military spokesperson said the country's transitional government, which took power in a coup last July, had terminated the military agreement with the US with immediate effect, citing the interests of the Nigerien people.

The Pentagon later announced that some of the US contingent will also be withdrawn from Chad. On Wednesday, a US defense official told Sputnik that the US has relocated 60 of its military personnel to Germany, where they will continue their work, as part of their withdrawal from Chad.

There are around 1,100 US personnel in Niger. Veteran Defense Department analyst Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski told Sputnik that the expulsion of US forces from Niger and Chad, along with similar trends across Africa, show that the post-World War II era of US-led neocolonialism to exploit the continent's peoples and riches is finally ending