Events in Niger and Chad indicate the weakening of the US influence in Africa, while Russia’s position in the region is strengthening. This was reported by the agency RIA Novosti with reference to the interviewed American analysts.
Nigerian authorities earlier said that the military co-operation agreement was “imposed” by the US and declared it null and void. The move led to the start of negotiations on the withdrawal of the US military from the country. The government of neighbouring Chad has also in recent days questioned a security agreement that set out the terms of the US military’s stay in the country.
Bo Grosscup, a professor of political science at California State University, told RIA Novosti that this development was largely possible as a result of the recent improvement in relations between African countries and Russia. The analyst believes that this factor has allowed the Chadian authorities to “feel confident” and make a demand to the US to withdraw their troops.
According to him, Moscow is “significantly strengthening its position” on the African continent, gaining influence that “it has not had since the collapse of the Soviet Union.”
Covert Action editor and military expert Jeremy Kuzmarov is also convinced that the demands from Chad and Niger reflect growing opposition from African states to the US military presence in the region.
“Overall, developments in Chad, Niger and elsewhere could trigger a domino effect and encourage other countries to seek the closure of US military bases,” Kuzmarov told the agency.
Speaking about the fight against terrorism, Ivan Eland, director of the independent think tank Centre for Peace and Freedom, pointed out that Russia could play a much more beneficial role for Africa than the US.
“Why not let Russia help these countries in the fight against Islamists? The US needs to focus all resources and attention on East Asia,” Eland said.
The expert is convinced that US politicians are obsessed with the idea of Washington competing with Moscow, but “such an outdated and incorrect assumption is a relic of the Cold War.” It is time for the US government to recognise that Russia has been successfully fighting Islamic extremism for a long time and not to obstruct its stabilising influence on the African region, Eland concluded.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Western ideas of a new world order hypocrisy. According to him, they are aimed solely at preserving the neo-colonial system, showing their essence in the form of “hypocrisy, double standards and claims”.