Russia is Vying for Greater Influence in Niger as the US Gets the Boot

[Kenneth Erwin Engelhardt]

Moscow is looking to fill the gap now that the military junta in Niamey has given the US Military the boot. Niger had been on the frontlines with the West fighting against the jihadists in Africa's Sahel Region. However, relations have changed dramatically with military coups in Mali and Burkina Faso bothof which have also sought closer relations with Russia.

Russian influence has grown in the Sahel as the Wagner Mercenary Group was reorganized and rebranded as Africa Corps following the August 2023 death of its founder Yevgeny Prigozhin in a plane crash that has never been fully explained.

Russia Vying for Influence