Russia has agreed to participate in a newly formed joint military force of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, with military training and equipment. According to Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russia will draw on military trainers already present in the three West African countries.
Lavrov stated that Russia is willing to make a contribution to the Alliance of Sahel States’ joint force. This step is necessary for the equipment of the trilateral forces, the minister said at a joint press conference with his counterparts from the three countries.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, each governed by a junta, signed a defense pact in 2023 and left the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in January this year.
The three Sahel countries have signed a mutual defense pact for 2023. “Our specialists can help with the development and equipping of these forces with specific weapons and equipment” Lavrov said.
Troops from the Wagner group, a Kremlin-backed private military company, began deploying in Mali in 2021, followed by Burkina Faso and Niger to combat terrorism. Some of these soldiers have since been replaced by troops from the Russian Army’s African Corps, as Moscow seeks to consolidate control over the Wagner business network in Africa following the death of its founder, Yevgeny Prigozhin.