Lavrov promises Russian aid to Sahel and Gulf of Guinea countries against jihadists

Published on : 02/07/2023 – 16:12Modified : 02/07/2023 – 18:44

Russia continues to advance its pawns in Africa. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Tuesday (February 7th) promised Moscow’s aid to the countries of the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea in the face of the jihadists.

“The fight against terrorism is of course topical for the other countries of the region”, declared Sergei Lavrov during a visit to Mali. “We will provide them with our assistance to overcome these difficulties. This concerns Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad, and in general the Sahelo-Saharan region and even the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.

Sergei Lavrov was speaking at a joint press conference with his Malian counterpart, Abdoulaye Diop, during a visit presented by the two parties as a “historic” first by a head of Russian diplomacy in the Sahelian country.

“Neocolonial Approaches”

Sergei Lavrov’s visit to this country plagued by jihadist violence and a deep multidimensional crisis materializes the rapprochement operated by the Malian colonels since 2021, at the same time as they broke the military alliance with France and its partners.

Sergueï Lavrov has promised Mali continued military support in the form of arms deliveries and the dispatch of hundreds of men, described according to sources as Russian army instructors or mercenaries from Wagner, a group of private security to the decried actions.

He also promised an increased Russian commitment on the continent, confronted according to him with the “neocolonial approaches” of the West.

“We are going to give our support to the solution of problems on the African continent, we constantly work on the principle that African problems must be solved with African solutions,” he said.

With AFP