Niger Ends Intelligence Cooperation with Russia and Turkey Over Equipment Quality

Niger’s ruling military junta has abruptly ended cooperation with Russia and Turkey in the field of intelligence equipment, citing poor performance.

The Military Africa media reported on this.

Such a decision, made under pressure from internal factors, emphasizes the depth of the security crisis in the country, and also reveals differences in views within the regime.

The General Directorate of Documentation and External Security (DGDSE) claimed that the primary reason for the decision was the low effectiveness of both the equipment and the personnel provided by Russian and Turkish partners, particularly in the area of telephone interception.

In response, Niger attempted to shift its focus to a Moroccan digital intelligence firm.

However, the deal collapsed after it emerged that the company was affiliated with a French private firm — an issue that became politically toxic given Niger’s severed ties with Paris and ongoing hostility to Western influence. The junta ordered the system to be dismantled, leaving the country with virtually no operational intelligence infrastructure.

In the absence of reliable surveillance capabilities, the government turned to stopgap measures. The Presidential Guard assumed control of internal monitoring, launching unannounced nighttime patrols in key areas of the capital, Niamey.
Operatives, dressed in civilian clothes, conduct foot and motorcycle patrols around strategic sites.

While such measures are intended to maintain the illusion of control, they are perceived more as temporary and forced measures, indicating a weakening of internal security in the country under military rule.

Despite the breakdown in direct intelligence ties with Moscow, Niger’s broader strategic alignment with Russia appears intact. Along with Mali and Burkina Faso, Niger recently signed an agreement with Russia’s Roscosmos space agency to provide satellite services for telecommunications and surveillance.

The agreement, signed in Bamako, is intended to strengthen national security and enhance border control under the framework of the trilateral alliance.