Russian military forces deployed to Niger to combat jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel have increasingly taken on a second, more controversial role: shielding the military junta that seized power in a 2023 coup from both internal dissent and external pressure. The arrangement has raised questions about whether Moscow's presence in the country is genuinely aimed at countering groups like JNIM and the Islamic State's Sahel Province, or whether it primarily serves to entrench the rule of the generals who overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum. As Western powers — notably France and the United States — withdrew their military assets from the region, Russia moved quickly to fill the vacuum, deepening its influence across the Sahel while critics warn that the partnership risks prioritizing regime survival over genuine security gains.
Russian forces were brought in to help defeat jihadists but they also defend the military leadership in Niger.
