Russia Condemns Niger’s Deadly Airport Attack
Motorcycle-mounted assailants struck Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey last Thursday—a strategic hub hosting a trilateral military installation shared by Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, alongside Russian military personnel.
An Islamic State affiliate operating in the Sahel took credit for the operation. The jihadist faction has orchestrated multiple devastating strikes within Niger recently, including a September massacre in the Tillaberi region that authorities say claimed over 120 lives, plus the October kidnapping of an American aviator.
Russia's Foreign Ministry released a Monday statement echoing Niamey officials' version of events, asserting that Nigerien troops—bolstered by their Russian partners—successfully neutralized the threat.
The ministry verified that roughly 20 attackers from a force of "approximately 40 militants" perished during combat, with military hardware and equipment confiscated afterward.
"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," the statement declared.
Moscow pledged continued expansion of partnerships throughout the Sahel, specifically through programs designed to enhance national military capabilities and deliver specialized training to armed forces and security agencies.
Niger's ruling military council, aligned with counterparts in Mali and Burkina Faso, has cultivated fresh security partnerships—particularly with Russia—to counter a lethal insurgency tied to al-Qaeda and Islamic State networks. Leaders within the Alliance of Sahel States expelled French forces from their borders after a ten-year counterterrorism campaign failed to suppress escalating bloodshed.
The three West African nations have consistently charged France with attempting to destabilize their administrations through covert collaboration with opposition groups. Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service has amplified these accusations, claiming Paris is orchestrating "neocolonial coups" throughout Africa, especially targeting Sahel governments deemed "undesirable."
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