Russia: Expanding Military Ties with Mali, Shaping New Sahel Alliances

Editorial: Fatima Babandi

Russia has confirmed a significant boost in its military cooperation with Mali, marking a pivotal moment in the Sahel region’s evolving geopolitical dynamics. During a visit to Moscow by the foreign ministers of the Sahel Alliance (AES), Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that military collaboration between Russia and Mali is “intensifying.”

The Sahel Alliance, which includes Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, is led by military governments that seized power through coups between 2020 and 2023. These regimes have broken ties with their former colonial power, France, and have turned to Russia as a new strategic partner.

Lavrov noted that Russian military personnel are actively working with their Malian counterparts, particularly through training initiatives. However, he offered few additional details about the scope and scale of the cooperation.

This growing alliance between Moscow and the Sahel nations underscores Russia’s expanding influence in Africa, positioning it as a key player in the region’s security landscape and challenging Western influence in the process.