Niger has finalised an agreement with Glavkosmos, part of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, to purchase three satellites aimed at bolstering security in the Sahel region.
The deal, announced by Nigerien Communications Minister Sidi Mohamed Raliou, involves a communications satellite, a remote sensing satellite, and a radar satellite, all set to be manufactured in Russia over the next four years.
This move follows the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) in September 2023, a coalition of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso—all now under military rule—formed to collectively combat jihadist threats after severing diplomatic ties with France and shifting towards Russian partnerships.
In the interim, Glavkosmos will provide similar equipment on loan to aid the security needs of the region. The new satellites are intended to empower the AES members to independently manage communication and surveillance operations in response to ongoing violence since 2012 that has destabilised much of the Sahel.