Niger received heavy weapons and armored vehicles from Egypt on Friday to assist the impoverished coastal country in its fight against extremist groups that threaten its eastern and western regions, announced the Nigerien Ministry of Defense. The Nigerien military authorities in Niamey received 30 armored reconnaissance vehicles of the “BDRM-2” model, along with approximately 20 mortar shells and a 122mm artillery gun, over 2,000 AK-47 assault rifles and machine guns, as well as ammunition.
Niger’s Defense Minister, Kassoum Inoussa, commended Egypt’s “highly significant gesture,” stating that Egypt continues to demonstrate its solidarity with Niger “in an extremely challenging security context” in the Sahel region. Inoussa also highlighted that Egypt has been providing training to Nigerien special forces.
Niger, one of the world’s poorest countries, faces armed gangs or extremist groups along six of its seven borders, such as Boko Haram and ISIS in West Africa, as well as other militant groups affiliated with Al-Qaeda and ISIS in the Greater Sahara. In its fight against extremists, Niger receives significant support from Western countries, including France and the United States, with approximately 1,500 French soldiers stationed in the country.
Furthermore, the European Union announced on Wednesday an increase in its military support to combat extremist groups. Josep Borrell, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, stated during a visit to Niamey that Niger would be the “first African country” to benefit from European assistance in equipping its forces with “lethal equipment,” particularly advanced ammunition for combat helicopters.
