Niger now has a training camp for its special forces. It was inaugurated on Wednesday morning and is located in Tillia, in the Tahoua region, in the southwestern part of the country, near the Malian border. This center is partly funded by the German Embassy and is part of the overall strategy for building special forces in the Sahel.
This camp is located in a desert area, very isolated, near the Malian border. It is in this department in Tillia that in March caused an attack on several villages more than 130 civilian casualties“The Nigerian Armed Forces must face growing uncertainty and constantly adapt to security requirements,” said Defense Minister Alkassoum Indatou.
According to a security source, Niger now has 5,000 elite soldiers. The goal is to reach 7,000 special forces by 2023, or 12 battalions of 550 men. Niger is part of a strategy being developed throughout the Sahel. Recently, Burkina Faso has also set up a special forces unit within its army.
The enemy is mobile, the terrain difficult, the communication lines in poor condition … Small elite units would therefore give more results than conventional forces. In any case, this is the discourse of France, especially since the announcement of the Barkhane operation in Mali ended. announced by President Macron in June.
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Working group Takouba, this grouping of European special forces, must give it a way out: President Macron then indicated that he now wanted to prioritize the fight against the jihadists of the special forces. These elite soldiers will be supported by the European commands of the Takouba force already in the Sahel, but also by the special forces of the partner armies.
Today, therefore, Niger is in agreement. Niamey has taken a central place in the new French strategy, as the Joint Operational Command of Takouba and the G5-Sahel forces will soon be installed there.
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