Kremlin on Russia’s Niger Presence: Moscow Bolstering Ties With African States

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russia is cultivating relations with African countries on all fronts, even in the area of defense, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, commenting on reports about the presence of Russian military personnel at a base in Niger.

Earlier in the day, a Pentagon spokesperson told Sputnik that Russian forces were sharing a base in Niger with the US military until the United States withdrew its contingent from the African country.

"We are expanding our relations in all areas, including defense, with various African states. They are interested, and we are also interested in it. We will continue to develop our relations with African states," Peskov told reporters.

Earlier, former CIA intelligence officer and US Department of State official Larry Johnson explained to Sputnik why Russia's presence in Africa is ever-growing:

“Russia doesn't have a history of enslaving Black Africans - number one. Russia is not closely tied to the colonial empires: The French, the Brits, the Germans, the Dutch, the Belgians have a long history of exploiting Africa and exploiting the people, exploiting the resources. So I think that both Russia and China are viewed as more honest brokers, to be candid. Much more so than the United States,” Johnson stressed.