Niger Rapid Intervention Company
Encyclopedia
The Niger Rapid Intervention Company is a 130 man special forces
unit trained by the United States Military to conduct counter-terrorist operations
in 2003-2006 in the West African nation of Niger
. The NRIC is a unit of the Nigerien Armed Forces, and is one of a number of small forces trained for African nations as part of the Pan Sahel Initiative
(2002-2004) and Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative
.
In August 2007 the Niger Movement for Justice
, MNJ, a Tuareg based insurgence
group, claimed defections from the army had increased their numbers to over 2000 fighters. Some sources claim that defections included the entire Niger Rapid Intervention Company. Western journalists have also claimed that the NRIC was previously drafted into use as security for the French conglomerate Areva NC
's Uranium
mines in Arlit
, northern Niger. Still other sources have claimed that it (and the rebel movement) had been created by the government itself in order to ratchet up tension in the region and thereby secure Western military aid. Subsequent comuniques by the MNJ have claimed that their forces include a unit titled TIR (Troupes d’Intervention Rapide). These claims have never been independently verified.
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
unit trained by the United States Military to conduct counter-terrorist operations
Counter-terrorism
Counter-terrorism is the practices, tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, militaries, police departments and corporations adopt to prevent or in response to terrorist threats and/or acts, both real and imputed.The tactic of terrorism is available to insurgents and governments...
in 2003-2006 in the West African nation of Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
. The NRIC is a unit of the Nigerien Armed Forces, and is one of a number of small forces trained for African nations as part of the Pan Sahel Initiative
Pan Sahel Initiative
The Pan-Sahel Initiative, according to a November 7, 2002, by the Office of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State, was "a State-led effort to assist Mali, Niger, Chad, and Mauritania in detecting and responding to suspicious movement of people and goods across and within their borders through...
(2002-2004) and Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative
Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative
The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative is an interagency plan by the United States government, combining efforts by both civil and military agencies, "to combat terrorism in Trans-Saharan Africa. The military component of TSCTI comprises the U.S. efforts of Operation Enduring Freedom -...
.
In August 2007 the Niger Movement for Justice
Niger Movement for Justice
The Nigerien's Movement for Justice is a largely Tuareg ethnic, northern Niger based militant group...
, MNJ, a Tuareg based insurgence
Tuareg Rebellion (2007–present)
The Tuareg Rebellion of 2007-2009 was an insurgency that began in February 2007 amongst elements of the Tuareg people living in the Sahara desert regions of northern Mali and Niger. It is only the most recent of a series of insurgencies by formerly nomadic Tuareg populations, which had last...
group, claimed defections from the army had increased their numbers to over 2000 fighters. Some sources claim that defections included the entire Niger Rapid Intervention Company. Western journalists have also claimed that the NRIC was previously drafted into use as security for the French conglomerate Areva NC
Areva NC
Areva NC, formerly Cogema is a French company, created in 1976 from the production division of the French government's CEA It is an industrial group active in all stages of the uranium fuel cycle, including uranium mining, conversion, enrichment, spent fuel reprocessing, and recycling...
's Uranium
Uranium
Uranium is a silvery-white metallic chemical element in the actinide series of the periodic table, with atomic number 92. It is assigned the chemical symbol U. A uranium atom has 92 protons and 92 electrons, of which 6 are valence electrons...
mines in Arlit
Arlit
Arlit is an industrial town and capital of the Arlit Department of the Agadez Region of northern-central Niger, built between the Sahara desert and the eastern edge of the Aïr mountains. It is 200 km south by road from the border with Algeria...
, northern Niger. Still other sources have claimed that it (and the rebel movement) had been created by the government itself in order to ratchet up tension in the region and thereby secure Western military aid. Subsequent comuniques by the MNJ have claimed that their forces include a unit titled TIR (Troupes d’Intervention Rapide). These claims have never been independently verified.