Russia discussed ways to boost military ties with the Sahel countries, promising to train their troops and supply weapons as it seeks to expand its clout in West African countries that have expelled French forces.
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday after the talks with his counterparts from Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger that Moscow stands ready to help strengthen their military and security forces.
“I emphasised Moscow's readiness to help expand the potential of the united armed forces of Sahel, strengthen the combat capability of the three countries' militaries and train their troops and law enforcement personnel,” Lavrov said, adding that Russia could also provide military equipment.
Russia's top diplomat also accused Ukraine of destabilising the region, declaring, without offering any evidence, that it "openly supports terrorist groups in this part of Africa while its Western sponsors turn a blind eye on it."
Mali’s Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop echoed Lavrov's comments, stating that his country views Ukraine as a “terrorist state.”
"We have common views on fighting insecurity and terrorism in our region, which is supported by foreign state sponsors and regional actors," he said.
After a year of efforts to prevent disintegration, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso officially withdrew from ECOWAS, marking a major political change in West Africa with the bloc keeping doors open for future cooperation.
Capitalising in Africa
Mali’s government cut diplomatic ties with Ukraine last year over allegations that Kiev aided an attack by armed groups in northern Mali in July, in which dozens of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers were killed by militants and rebels, in what some observers described as one of the largest losses for the Russian contractors in years.
A spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence said at the time that armed groups in Mali had received information from Kiev to launch the attack.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry argued, however, that Mali had cut ties without a thorough review of the situation and without providing evidence of the country’s involvement in the attack.
Ties between Sahel countries and the West have become increasingly strained.
Following military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in recent years, the ruling juntas have expelled French and US forces, and turned to Russian military contractors for security assistance.
Russia has capitalised on deteriorating relations between the West and Sahel nations to send fighters and assert its influence. Russian military contractors have been active in the Sahel, the vast expanse south of the Sahara Desert, profiting from the region's mineral riches in exchange for their security services.
Lavrov noted on Thursday that Russia will help the Sahel countries to form a joint military force by offering "consultative services," noting that a "significant number" of Russian military instructors have been working there already.
The three junta-ruled nations are augmenting their security capabilities in the face of a rising threat from terror and militia groups, besides an abrupt departure from the West African bloc. But analysts say more is needed.
