Russia and the three West African nations of the Alliance of Sahel States, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have agreed to strengthen military ties as jihadist insurgents continue to make territorial gains across the region. The commitment came in a joint statement issued Wednesday night following talks in Niger’s capital, Niamey.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met with counterparts from the three military-led governments, all of which have pivoted toward Moscow after severing ties with France and other Western partners. Officials from both sides welcomed what they described as growing military and military-technical cooperation, including continued support from Russia’s paramilitary Africa Corps. Moscow reaffirmed its commitment to helping build up the armed forces of AES member states, as well as their newly formed “Unified Force.”
The talks came against a backdrop of escalating violence in the region. In April, the local al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-led separatist group carried out coordinated attacks across Mali that killed the country’s defense minister, and the group struck multiple army posts again just days ago on Saturday.
The joint statement also alleged, without offering evidence, that “external state actors” — including Ukraine and France — were involved in fueling attacks in the region, claims both countries have denied.
Lavrov’s trip also included a stop in Ethiopia as part of a broader tour of the continent, with a full Russia-Africa summit scheduled for October.
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