After the war in Ukraine, Russia’s presence in Africa increases
Russia continues to make progress in Africa. It may seem strange to a West who thinks that the invasion of Ukraine has essentially isolated Moscow from the rest of the world, apart from relations with some other countries not exactly integrated into the international community such as North Korea, Iran, Syria and (to a certain extent minor) China. And instead, Vladimir Putin’s Russia is not isolated in Asia, the Middle East or Africa. On the contrary, it seems to be making further progress in recent times precisely on this last continent.
The most recent step would have been taken in Burkina Faso. Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo has sparked controversy by saying last week that Burkina Faso has hired mercenaries from the Russian group Wagner to help the Sahel country fight the many armed groups active on its territory. “I believe a mine in southern Burkina has been assigned to these mercenaries as a form of payment for their services.”Akufo-Addo said, speaking to reporters alongside US Secretary of State Antony Blinken during the US-Africa summit.
Burkina Faso’s government has not formally confirmed or denied allegations that it struck a deal with Wagner, but has summoned the Ghanaian ambassador for a meeting to explain the president’s claims. Burkina Faso recently awarded a new exploration permit to Russian company Nordgold for a gold mine in Yimiougou in the north-central region, but the company has been active in Burkina Faso for more than 10 years as the local government has pointed out.
In any case it is not, or would certainly be, an isolated case. THEBurkina Faso’s neighbor Mali hired Wagner last year to help him fight armed groups in the Sahel. A military cooperation agreement was signed between Russia and Cameroon last April. Signed in all secrecy has come to the fore in the news these days and is already creating a lot of perplexity. The text of the agreement – signed by Yaoundé’s defense minister, Joseph Beti Assomo and his Russian counterpart, Serguei Choigou – provides for the exchange of views and information on international defense and security policy, the development of relations in the field of joint training and training of military engineering, education, medical and topography troops.
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