The defense chiefs of Russia, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have met to discuss ways to boost cooperation and fight terrorism

Moscow is ready to provide security assistance to Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger to combat terrorism and armed groups destabilizing the Sahel, the Russian Defense Ministry has said. The West African countries have faced a decade-long jihadist insurgency that has killed thousands and displaced millions.

The ministry made the commitment during the first consultation between the defense departments of Russia and the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). During the meeting,Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov warned that terrorist threats and intensified activity by illegal armed groups persist in the Sahel region despite its leaders' push for sustainable peace.

"We support your position on the need to strengthen security, protect territories and sovereignty," Belousov told his Burkinabe, Malian, and Nigerien counterparts, according to an official press release.

He said the joint dialogue "would be an important forum for discussing ways to strengthen defense cooperation" between Moscow and the AES.

The jihadist insurgency in the Sahel began in northern Mali in 2012 and has since spilled over to neighboring Mali and Niger despite years of Western military intervention. The violence has fueled political instability, prompting coups in all three states since 2020 and the creation of their security alliance in 2023. The transitional governments in Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou have since forged stronger ties with Russia, expanding security cooperation after severing defense cooperation with former partners, including the US and France. The three former French colonies have accused Paris in particular of acts of aggression and of prolonging instability in the Sahel under the guise of counterterrorism operations.

On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry and the AES states signed a memorandum of understanding, signaling an expansion of military ties.

Speaking on behalf of the Sahel alliance, Malian Defense Minister Sadio Camara said defense remains the largest area of cooperation between Russia and the three countries. He welcomed the inaugural meeting of the security chiefs as "a common desire to strengthen the strategic partnership."

(RT.com)