Tensions Flare as Russia and US Share Air Base in Niger

It's a scene that could be straight out of a Cold War movie thriller. American and Russian troops finding themselves sharing the same military air base in a remote corner of West Africa. But this is no fiction – it's really happening at Air Base 101 in Niger's capital Niamey.

The uneasy cohabitation began after Niger's ruling military junta kicked out French and U.S. forces in the wake of last year's coup. However, while the French troops departed, around 1,000 American soldiers remained at the $110 million air base the U.S. had constructed to support operations against jihadist groups in the Sahel region.

Then in a move that raised eyebrows in Washington, the junta allowed Russian troops to move in and set up camp right alongside the American forces they are supposed to be strategic rivals with.

According to reports, the Russian and U.S. soldiers are staying in separate hangars and facilities to minimize contact and avoid any potential flare-ups. But just the fact that they are rubbing shoulders at such a remote and insecure location has analysts worried.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin tried to downplay concerns, stating the Russian troops don't have access to U.S. equipment or personnel. But he admitted force protection is a "focus" given the unprecedented situation.

Niger is just the latest example of the big power rivalry playing out across Africa, as the U.S. and its allies are increasingly being booted out in favor of Russian and Chinese involvement. From Mali to Burkina Faso to the Central African Republic, coups against Western-backed governments have allowed Russia to gain a bigger military footprint through deployments of mercenaries like the Wagner Group.

For the people of Africa though, these great power games are a sideshow to the main crisis of rampant poverty, insecurity and lack of economic development that breeds discontent with former colonial powers and opens the door to new players like Russia and China who portray themselves as more benevolent partners.

As the geopolitical chessboard continues shifting in one of the world's most strategically vital regions, Niger's Air Base 101 is emerging as an unlikely and uneasy arena where America and Russia's frosty rivalry is literally playing out hangar-to-hangar. How this stark subplot concludes remains to be seen.