Russia's Africa Corps Helps Niger Junta Quell Mutiny At Niamey Air Base

According to the BBC, Russia's Africa Corps helped Nigerien loyalist forces retake Air Base 101 at Diori Hamani International Airport after mutinous soldiers seized the strategic military base in Niamey last Saturday. Russia's ambassador to Niger, Viktor Voropaev, said Moscow's forces helped "repress a mutiny," while analysts said the intervention underscored Niger's growing dependence on Russia for security. The report said Africa Corps, which is directly controlled by Russia's defense ministry, has about 200 to 300 personnel in Niger and has also played a role in repelling an attack at the same airport in January. It added that Russia's support for Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso is tied to protecting allied governments, access to resources such as uranium and gold, and maintaining diplomatic influence, even as insurgent attacks by militants linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State continue in Niger.