Russia will continue to bolster the combat capacity of armed forces in the Sahel, according to a Foreign Ministry statement
Moscow has condemned a terrorist attack on the main international airport in Niger’s capital last week and pledged to continue supporting security efforts against jihadist insurgents in the Sahel.
Last Thursday, armed men on motorcycles targeted Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, which hosts an air base used by a joint military force involving Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, as well as Russian soldiers.
An Islamic State in the Sahel affiliate claimed responsibility for the attack. The group has been linked to a series of high-profile assaults in Niger in recent months, including an attack in the Tillaberi region in September that reportedly killed more than 120 people, and the abduction of an American pilot in October.
In a statement on Monday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry aligned with accounts from authorities in Niamey, saying the attack was repelled by Nigerien forces with support from their Russian counterparts.
The ministry also confirmed that around 20 of the “approximately 40 militants” involved were killed in the clashes, and that weapons and other property were seized.
“Moscow strongly condemns this latest extremist attack. A similar attack took place in September 2024 on Mali’s capital airport. According to available information, external forces are involved in the terrorist attacks, providing training and technical support,” it stated.
The ministry further said Moscow will continue to deepen cooperation with countries in the Sahel, including by assisting in strengthening the combat readiness of national armed forces and training military and law enforcement personnel.
Niger’s military government, together with its allies in Mali and Burkina Faso, has forged new security alliances – including with Russia – to combat a deadly insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. The leaders of the Alliance of Sahel States have forced French troops to withdraw from their territories after a decade-long counterterrorism mission failed to contain the violence.
The three West African countries have also repeatedly accused France of seeking to undermine their governments by cooperating with rebel factions. Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service has echoed those claims, alleging that Paris is planning “neocolonial coups” across Africa, particularly in the Sahel, in an effort to destabilize governments it considers “undesirable.”