Russian Engagement in Africa

How France will try to take revenge on Russia in Africa, by Evgeny Krutikov for VZGLYAD. 06.18.2024.

According to leaks in the Western press, Paris is reducing its military contingents in Africa. On the one hand, this is the result of a real defeat of France on the continent and a sign, among other things, of the success of Russian policy. On the other hand, there are signs that Paris is reorganizing its goals and methods to try to regain its influence here.

France intends to reduce its military presence in Central and West Africa to several hundred people. This was reported by AFP, citing sources.

According to the agency, the French authorities intend to leave about 100 troops in Gabon (there are currently 350 in the country), 100 in Senegal (there are now 350), 100 in Côte d'Ivoire (compared to 600 today) and approximately 300 - in Chad, where there are currently a thousand French troops. The main headquarters of the French Armed Forces refused to comment on this information.

Just two years ago, France had 5,000 troops in the Sahel and another 1,600 in West Africa and Gabon. The French have been in the Sahel region since 2014 to conduct several “anti-terrorist operations.” The effectiveness of the “fight” of the French and other European allies against the jihadists (symbolic contingents from various European countries, including Estonia, participated in Operations Barkhane and Tacuba) was extremely low. This caused a spontaneous reaction by the local military, which ended in a series of coups that toppled the pro-French regimes of the Sahel countries.

Since 2022, the gradual destruction of French Africa began, which included the rapid withdrawal of military contingents. In a number of countries, the withdrawal of French troops is formalized through international diplomatic procedures, as, for example, in Burkina Faso. There, in March 2023, the denunciation of the military assistance agreement with France, which was concluded 60 years ago, was announced. In a number of other cases, France withdraws its troops unilaterally, as if voluntarily, although from the context it is clear that this is a forced measure.

All this is accompanied by the already familiar anti-Russian rhetoric in Paris and arguments that “Russia has ousted France” from Central and West Africa. But in a number of cases, French troops leave those African countries where there was and is no “Russian pressure” or presence.

The situations in Gabon and Senegal are indicative in this regard.

The recent coup in Gabon was more of a pro-American character, resulting in the ousting of French corporations from this oil-producing country, which are being replaced by American ones. And in Senegal, following the election results, an internal struggle began, in which anti-French and pan-African rhetoric is only one of the arguments. Nevertheless, Paris is reducing its military presence in the country, which for 170 years was not only an outpost of France on the continent, but was itself a supplier for the metropolis of the famous tirayers - Senegalese shooters. And they fought under the French flag in all known wars, including both world wars.

The situation in Côte d'Ivoire, which was previously considered an unshakable pillar of French influence in West Africa, is also ambiguous. Even now, no one is strongly against Paris there and no one walks around with Russian flags. Nevertheless, France has already unilaterally reduced its contingent from 900 to 600 people, and will further reduce it to a symbolic hundred.

All this is externally perceived as a retreat of the “old” colonial power from its traditional region. At the same time, the French media link the decisions to withdraw or reduce French troops in African countries with the defeat of Macron’s party in the recent elections to the European Parliament and with the upcoming snap elections to the French national parliament, where the results for Macronists may also be depressing.

But what is the connection between the maintenance of small military contingents in Africa and political upheavals within France? France's interests as a country in Africa outweigh party differences. The need to maintain influence in the Sahel and Central Africa, the strongest need for uranium among European countries and other “African needs” will be important to any government in Paris, regardless of the election results.

Plans for the withdrawal of military contingents were developed in Paris long before any elections. Moreover, there is reason to believe that Paris is not so much leaving Africa as it is temporarily retreating and trying to find a new strategy for maintaining its influence in the region. This will be the first attempt by a European state to systematically outline a plan for preserving its interests in Africa.

Firstly, this summer a specialized African command will appear for the first time in the General Staff of the French Armed Forces.

Previously, the French military presence was regulated either by post-colonial bilateral agreements dating back 60 years, as in the case of Burkina Faso, or by temporary agreements on specific operations (Mali, Niger). This configuration did not require a single control center in Paris. Now it is being revised.

Secondly, against the background of the reduction and withdrawal of troops from the Sahel, West and Central Africa, France maintains and even strengthens its base in Djibouti. Now there are 1,500 military personnel from the Foreign Legion and auxiliary forces.

In addition to its very important strategic location (the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the centers of global maritime trade), Djibouti represents the most important logistics base in East Africa. France does not yet have a similar base in West and Central Africa, but there are reports that

Paris begins to negotiate with Togo and Benin on the construction of large military and logistics facilities on their territory to replace those lost in Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso.

If we mention in this context ensuring Russian interests in Africa, then the main threat to them is precisely the most complex logistics. Several months ago, discussions began on plans to build a large airfield (base, logistics hub) in Niger or Mali (or reconstruct existing civilian facilities for new needs, including lengthening runways).

The Pentagon officially declares that Russian military personnel are present at one of the Niger air bases. Without such transport infrastructure, it is difficult to talk about effectively ensuring Russian interests on the continent. And undoubtedly, this infrastructure must be supported by Russia’s “soft power,” that is, humanitarian cooperation.

As for France, there are attempts by Paris to build a new configuration of its presence in traditional French zones in Africa.

For now, the basis of the French presence on the Black Continent remains financial influence and work with local ethnic elites on the basis of corruption and “Frenchization.” Since the time of de Gaulle, the military component for Paris has been only a “point of fixation” of its presence.

Now we see the desire of Paris to build strong logistics points on the outskirts of the continent. Through them, if the situation develops favourably, France will make efforts to regain its previous positions in Africa.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/6/18/1273735.html

Second Russian-African conference of Valdai Club opens in Tanzania

The event will bring together around 40 experts from Russia and East Africa, who will discuss models of Moscow’s cooperation with African nations a year after the Russia-Africa summit took place in St. Petersburg

https://tass.com/politics/1820787

Russia’s construction of NPP in Burkina Faso matter of country’s survival — envoy

https://tass.com/politics/1820791


Russian envoy to Burkina Faso expects Sberbank to take steps on opening affiliate bank

https://tass.com/politics/1820785

Russian Foreign Ministry: Africans are changing their attitude towards developing relations with the West, 07.25.2024.

Russian Foreign Ministry: African countries' attitudes toward building relations with the West are changing.

MOSCOW, July 25 - RIA Novosti. The attitude of African countries to building relations not only with Russia but also with the West is changing significantly, said Ambassador-at-Large of the Russian Foreign Ministry and head of the secretariat of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum Oleg Ozerov.

"The attitude of Africans is changing significantly not only towards Russia, but also towards the development of international relations with the West in general... Africa is beginning to speak with its own voice, is rejecting "imperialist" languages ​​such as English and French, a colossal, perhaps even underestimated by us, process of national and civilizational revival of the African continent has begun," Ozerov said during a strategic session on legislative support for economic cooperation with African countries in the energy sector.

https://ria.ru/20240725/afrika-1961957698.html

Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso rise up against imperialism in Africa, experts say, by Fabian Falconi for SputnikBrazil.com. 07.27.2024.

The heads of State of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso met for the first time earlier this month in Niamey, Niger's capital, where they created the Confederation of the Alliance of Sahel states. The new African bloc is not only a reflection of the failure of the West's policies towards Africa, it could also reshape the continent's future, analysts said.

Newly created, the Sahel Confederation emerges as a new geopolitical pole in West Africa. What led to the creation of the block? What are your goals? These and other issues were addressed in Mundioka this Friday (26), Sputnik Brasil podcast presented by journalists Melina Saad and Marcelo Castilho.

From macro to micro: why was the Confederation created?

Mundioka's interviewees pointed to several reasons that culminated in the need for Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger to create the Sahel Confederation, such as the need for mutual defence.

In recent historical terms, points out Rafaela Serpa, PhD student in political science at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), the intervention of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Libya in 2011 created a major problem of terrorism in the region, with several groups linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (terrorist organizations banned in Russia and several other countries) operating in the region.

"More than ten years later, these groups remain strong, including after French-led operations in the region such as Barkhane and Operation Serval."

Poorly resolved by the West, the violence in the region has precipitated the creation of new militarily strong governments.
But upon assuming power, these new leaders found themselves in the crosshairs of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which imposed economic sanctions and threatened a military intervention in Niger to restore the former President.

"ECOWAS ended up positioning itself as an auxiliary arm of the politics of France and other powers on the continent."

According to Sofonias Lopes Jó, a researcher at the Study Group on state capacity, security and Defense (Gecap) linked to the Faculty of International Relations of the Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM), this character of ECOWAS is evident when observing how the organization behaved in the face of other changes of government in the region.

"Former President Macky Sall of Senegal wanted to run for a third term even against the Constitution. What was ECOWAS's position on this? Nothing. There is an institutional coup in Guinea-Bissau in 2020 with President Umaro Sissoco Embaló. What is the position of ECOWAS? Nothing."

"All of these represent the interests of French imperialism."

This characteristic, says Charles Pennaforte, professor and coordinator of the Laboratory of Geopolitics, International Relations and anti-systemic movements (LabGRIMA) at the Federal University of Pelotas (UFPel), points to the great geopolitical motives that led to the creation of the Confederation.

"Africa today is a stage of dispute of great geopolitical powers," says Pennaforte, and France, which has colonized and still maintains great political and economic influence in the region,"offered little concrete for these countries."

"Africa has options that no longer pass through Europe and the United States [...]. There is the presence of China, Russia and India looking with a greater will to the continent."

In this sense, the creation of the Confederation is an attempt to seek its own, alternative path of integration and autonomy, analysts say. "And who appears in these scenarios?", questions Pennaforte," countries that, in some way, are also sanctioned " and have importance in the global geopolitical chess, such as Russia, Iran and Turkey.

What does the creation of a confederation between the 3 African countries mean?

Signed on July 6 in Niamey, the statute of the Confederation initiated a greater process of integration between these states, from greater military coordination, such as the creation of a unified security force and the "development of new support institutions", details Serpa.

"There will be a rotating presidency and a Parliament to implement the objectives of the alliance."

Among these goals are the unification of diplomatic relations abroad — "relations with each country now need to be with all three" — the free movement of people, goods and services (which already existed in ECOWAS), the creation of an investment bank, a stabilization fund and cooperation in strategic sectors such as water, agriculture and energy.

The great highlight, however, is the increase in economic cooperation as a way to reduce dependence on the West.

"They want to get out of the CFA Franc zone, but a plan has not yet been outlined for how that will be."

For job, the divisions created by France in the region remain after independence, creating similarities between these countries that can feed the Union. For this reason, it is not unthinkable to expand the Confederation to include the other countries of the so-called G5 of the Sahel, Chad and Mauritania or, even, Senegal, which begins to align ideologically with the trio.

"The Sahel region is already culturally united," he said. "And this bond makes them able to unite [politically] among themselves."

Yandex Translate from Portuguese.

https://noticiabrasil.net.br/20240726/niger-mali-e-burkina-faso-se-erguem-contra-o-imperialismo-na-africa-avaliam-especialistas-35755531.html

Russia to participate in Africa’s largest defence exhibition, 07.29.2024.

Russian Tu-160 long-range bombers are likely to be showcased at Africa Aerospace and Defense 2024.

Russia is set to participate in Africa’s largest defence and aerospace exhibition, local news agency Defenceweb reported on Friday. Africa Aerospace and Defense 2024 will take place in South Africa in September.

Ahead of the event, a delegation of Russian military officers visited an airfield outside Pretoria with a view to deploying Tu-160 long-range bombers at the location for the exhibition. The officers were greeted at the airbase by the chief of the South African Air Force.

Captain Tebogo August, a spokeswoman for the South African Air Force, said Pretoria and Moscow enjoyed strong diplomatic relations as fellow members of BRICS.

“Russia and South Africa have enjoyed diplomatic relations since time immemorial. As BRICS members, together with China, India, and Brazil, they all enjoy economic ties, political relations, and military cooperation agreements,” she stated.

Several Russian defence companies will participate in the exhibition, including Aeroscan, Katod, Roscosmos Corporation, Rosoboronexport, Technodinamika, and United Aircraft Corporation.

In October 2019, two Russian Tu-160 bombers visited South Africa for the first time. Their arrival at Waterkloof airbase coincided with the opening of the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in Sochi.

Africa Aerospace and Defense 2024 will take place from September 18 to September 22. The final two days of the event will be dedicated to the air show.

The exhibition, which was first held in 1975, takes place every two years. This year, it is expected to feature more than 300 companies from various countries.

https://www.rt.com/africa/601786-russia-participate-africa-defense-exhibition/

Russian Ambassador to Tanzania Names Promising Area of ​​Cooperation, 08.03.2024.

Ambassador to Tanzania calls exploration cooperation promising.

MOSCOW, August 3 — RIA Novosti. Russian Ambassador to Tanzania Andrei Avetisyan believes that cooperation in geological exploration is a promising area of ​​bilateral cooperation between the countries.

In an interview with RIA Novosti, he said that “a major auction of offshore blocks is planned for the beginning of next year, which also opens up the possibility of geological exploration – another promising area for the potential of bilateral cooperation.”

"We estimate that the auction may be linked to the long-awaited revision of Tanzania's Petroleum Act of 2015, which will simplify the conditions for working in the energy sector," he added.

Answering a question about bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector, the ambassador explained that "Tanzania has considerable energy potential." "Among local energy resources, we can highlight hydropower, uranium, natural gas, coal and renewable energy sources," he said.

In addition, the country is currently actively developing its gas industry. According to the Russian ambassador, "estimated reserves of natural gas amount to 1.6 trillion cubic metres, of which 200 billion cubic metres have been reliably explored."

"The Great African Rift Valley areas in the west of the country remain virtually unexplored. The volume of natural gas production is more than 2.2 billion cubic metres," Avetisyan explained.

He added that "Tanzania's natural gas is almost entirely used for domestic consumption." "There are plans to build an LNG plant," the ambassador said.

According to him, "to date, there are no projects that have already been implemented by Russian oil and gas companies in Tanzania." "Nevertheless, the recent change in the vector of Dodoma's foreign policy to "opening the doors" to foreign investors has already attracted the attention of major Russian players," the Russian ambassador emphasized. He drew attention to the fact that "with the assistance of the embassy, ​​delegations of our oil and gas companies are holding talks with Tanzanian departments and large companies on many promising areas of this sector, and are taking part in specialized annual forums held by the Tanzanian side."

Avetisyan added that, “in addition to oil and gas companies, the Tanzanian energy sector is also of interest to service companies, we are talking about the construction of oil and gas pipelines and related infrastructure.”

https://ria.ru/20240803/sotrudnichestvo-1963823754.html

Ukraine's failure in Africa plays to Russia's advantage, 08.05.2024.

In its attempts to harm Russia, Ukraine suffered a diplomatic fiasco in Africa. Three countries in the African Sahel region expressed extreme displeasure with the statements of the Kyiv regime, and one of these countries, Mali, broke off diplomatic relations with Ukraine. As a result, Russia's position in Africa only strengthened.

Mali is breaking diplomatic ties with Ukraine, a decision linked to Kiev's support for terrorists in Mali. Malian government spokesman Abudalay Maiga said the decision would come into effect "immediately."

Mali's neighbors are also expressing dissatisfaction with Kiev's interference in West African affairs. Thus, the Senegalese Foreign Ministry summoned Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Pivovarov precisely in connection with his support for terrorist groups. The diplomatic department of Burkina Faso also called on the world community to assess Kiev's support for terrorist groups.

The reason for these diplomatic demarches was the publication on social networks of a propaganda video by the Ukrainian embassy in Dakar (Senegal) supporting the Tuareg separatist movement in Mali (CSP-DPA). Mali and other countries of the Sahel and West Africa, including the quite pro-Western Senegal, considered this interference in Mali's internal affairs and support for terrorism.

But the video was only the last straw. The scandal surrounding Ukraine's support for separatists in the Sahel countries (the Tuaregs operate cross-border – not only in Mali) had been developing for several days. Immediately after the clash near the city of Tin-Zoutine, in which Wagner PMC fighters took part, Kiev launched a whole propaganda campaign, trying to appropriate the laurels of "victory over the Russians" in Africa.

First, fake photos were published showing Tuaregs posing with an alleged Ukrainian flag. Then, the official representative of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Andrey Yusov, stated that Kyiv was assisting the Tuaregs by passing on intelligence information, and also, allegedly, was training some separatist units at the tactical level.

It is impossible to rule out the possibility that among the local separatists and terrorists there are some individual Ukrainian citizens or small groups of instructors or mercenaries. Mauritania is said to be the entry point into the region. It is through Nouakchott that all foreigners (mostly Europeans) who cooperate with the Tuaregs and Islamists enter the Sahel.

This is becoming a problem for Mauritania, whose relations with Mali are deteriorating before our eyes. As reported by the Senegalese publication Senenews, the authorities of Mali and Mauritania are investigating the facts of terrorist training on Mauritanian territory by Ukrainian instructors. In addition, according to the newspaper Le Monde, terrorists from the alliance of Malian armed separatist groups CSP-DPA were trained on Ukrainian territory.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova , stated that the fact of Kiev's cooperation with terrorists in the Sahel is not surprising, since Ukraine itself has repeatedly resorted to terrorist methods. Kiev really thought about organizing some kind of counteraction to Russia in Africa and in other regions where Moscow has seen diplomatic or military successes.

At the same time, Kiev does not have significant resources for regular force work in Africa. The Ukrainian side really tried in the last year to send a sabotage squad to African countries demonstrating their pro-Russian orientation, but this whole story ended ingloriously.

At the moment, there is no direct evidence of the systemic presence of Ukrainian saboteurs in the Sahel. What is evident is, first of all, the desire of the Kiev regime to publicly indicate their involvement in any events that could be interpreted as a "victory over the Russians." On Monday, official Kiev, trying to quell the scandal, called Mali's decision to sever diplomatic relations hasty and short-sighted. However, it was too late, and in any case, as they say, the aftertaste remained.

And all because African states (especially those where progressive military men have come to power in recent years) react very painfully to any external forceful intervention or even hints of such a possibility. Any carelessly spoken word can lead to a collapse of relations. This is happening before our eyes.

Mali has done the maximum – it has severed diplomatic relations with Ukraine. Bamako has no other means of influencing Kiev, just as Kyiv cannot exert pressure on the Sahel countries. Burkina Faso has so far limited itself to summoning its ambassador, as has Senegal. Niger may also sever relations.

The Sahel countries have common security problems, but they are drawn into wars with jihadists and separatists by different methods. And Ukraine is very far from them. Perhaps the Sahel Alliance countries will try to develop some kind of common position on this issue. For them, this is a way to clearly demonstrate their unity and a new form of solidarity.

Senegal, which was only tangentially affected by this whole story with Ukrainian propaganda, falls out of this ensemble. It’s just that Dakar, the historical capital of the former French West Africa, traditionally houses large embassies of European countries, whose activities extend beyond Senegal. And it was the Ukrainian embassy in Dakar that has now provoked a diplomatic scandal. But the new leadership of Senegal, despite the loud “anti-colonialist” rhetoric, is in no hurry to spoil relations with France and is distancing itself from the events in the Sahel. This is not their war and not their problem. And Senegal declares neutrality with regard to the distant and completely incomprehensible Ukraine.

Apparently, Kyiv’s diplomatic failure in Africa is a consequence of the Ukrainian regime’s generally distorted view of the world.

Kyiv barely refrained from providing propaganda support to the jihadists from JNIM, who call themselves the heirs of Al-Qaeda. But even the desert inhabitants of the Tuaregs at some point began to disown any "Ukrainian aid", but also for propaganda reasons. The Tuaregs also need to present themselves as the victors in the battle in Tin-Zoutine, and they do not want to take any Ukrainians as accomplices.

The internal propaganda campaign under the slogan “We have defeated Russia in Africa” has in practice led to diplomatic failure for the Kyiv regime. Relations between Kyiv and Tbilisi have been destroyed in a similar way, as the Ukrainian regime has continued to blindly support Saakashvili and the terrorist groups affiliated with him. Even if we assume that Kyiv was conducting some diplomatic work in Mali and neighboring countries to counter Russia’s efforts there, this activity has now been completely destroyed.

There is no rational grain in such behavior of Kyiv. But there is a lot of traditional Ukrainian style of carnival in politics. And this style has penetrated even African countries of the Sahel region, which are far from European problems. Let Kiev continue in the same spirit. Rarely has anyone destroyed their own foreign policy so effectively.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/8/5/1280813.html

Rosatom to build nuclear power plant in Sahel state, 08.07.2024.

Engineers from the Russian firm are on a four-day visit to Burkina Faso to discuss the project.

Representatives of the Russian state nuclear power firm Rosatom are on a working visit to Burkina Faso, discussing plans to construct a nuclear power plant in one of the world’s least electrified nations.

The team arrived in the West African nation on Tuesday and held talks with representatives of the Burkinabe Energy Ministry, local media reported.

During the four-day visit, Ouagadougou’s energy minister, Yacouba Zabré Gouba, said discussions with the Rosatom delegation would focus on technical issues, and creating the conditions for the project to start.

“The nuclear power plant is essential for us because we believe that energy is a lever on which the country can acquire its real sovereignty in energy matters,” Gouba said during the meeting, according to the African Initiative news website.

As of 2022, only 19.5% of Burkina Faso’s population had access to electricity, according to the World Bank. The landlocked country with over 20 million people has power generation capacity of 420 megawatts, with its energy mix dominated by fossil fuels.

Last October, the Sahel state signed an agreement with Rosatom to build a nuclear power plant, following a request made by its interim leader, Ibrahim Traore, to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the second Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg.

On Tuesday, energy minister Gouba stated that the Burkinabe government was “pinning much hope” on the Rosatom team’s visit, which will allow the country to deal with its “energy realities.”

“We cannot give an exact date for the completion of this plant but we will do everything to deliver the plant as soon as possible,” Rosatom chief engineer Alexander Renev was quoted as saying.

The project in Burkina Faso is not the first that the Russian state company is working on in the Sahel region. In May, Mali’s Energy Ministry announced the construction of a 200 megawatt (MW) solar power plant near the capital, Bamako, by NovaWind – the wind energy division of Rosatom.

NovaWind’s director, Grigory Nazarov, said the facility, which will cost $217 million, will increase the country’s electricity production by 10%.

https://www.rt.com/africa/602276-rosatom-burkina-faso-nuclear-power-plant-construction/

Terror lovers: Here’s how Ukraine is deceiving the Global South, by Tarik Cyril Amar, a historian from Germany working at Koç University, Istanbul, on Russia, Ukraine, and Eastern Europe, the history of World War II, the cultural Cold War, and the politics of memory, for RT. 08.07.2024.

Kiev has managed to offend a whole lot of countries by openly supporting terrorists in a weird act of anti-diplomacy.

The government of Mali has officially severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine. Ukraine is a country in eastern Europe; Mali is located in the Sahel region of Africa. Their political and commercial relationships are, to put it mildly, not intense, neither in a positive nor – until now – a negative sense. Kiev does not even maintain an embassy in Bamako, Mali’s capital, despite having them in a number of other African states; Mali has no diplomatic mission in Ukraine either. At first sight, it is hard to understand how two countries that have so little to do with each other could even have managed to get into such a clash.

But leave it to Kiev to shoot itself in the foot. The strange falling-out is entirely due to Ukraine. Its leadership’s aggressive, arrogant, and shortsighted actions have left Bamako hardly any other option but to, in effect, tell Kiev to get lost. While this may appear to be a comparatively localized issue, that impression is misleading. In reality, Ukraine’s crude treatment of the African nation has wider significance because it is emblematic of its inability to persuade the Global South or even address it in a respectful manner.

But first things first. Here’s what happened: In late July, troops fighting for Mali’s government, from its own military and Russia's Wagner organization, were ambushed in the north of the country, close to the town of Tinzaouaten. The attackers also consisted of two different but – at least, de facto – cooperating forces: There were Tuareg insurgents, representing a long-standing separatist rebellion going back to 2012, organized in the CSP-DPA (Cadre Stratégique Pour la Défense du Peuple de l’Azawad). In addition, al-Qaeda-affiliated Jihadist terrorists operating under the label JNIM (Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal-Muslimin) also struck.

Details of this battle are still not entirely clear. Apparently, a sand and dust storm mostly neutralized the airpower advantage of the Mali government forces. However, it is certain that together, the Tuareg separatists and the Jihadist terrorists inflicted a bloody defeat on their opponents. Wagner’s losses were substantial, with reported numbers varying between over “two dozen,” “approximately 50,” and “over 80.” The government in Bamako has put losses among its own military’s soldiers at two dead and 10 injured.

The precise figures, though, are much less important than three simple facts: Both the Wagner troops and the soldiers of Mali’s military were fighting on behalf of the government. They were attacked by a combination of separatist Tuareg rebels and Jihadist terrorists and, most importantly from the perspective of the Malian government, both – the rebels and the terrorists – are enemies that it has a right, under international law, to combat and that outsiders have no right to support.

Enter Ukraine. Or to be precise, Kiev’s notorious military intelligence service HUR. In reality a CIA-trained assassination and black ops outfit with a predilection for crazy schemes meant to widen the Ukraine War, HUR couldn’t keep its mouth shut. Which, if you think about it, is an odd weakness for a clandestine agency. Shortly after the battle of Tinzaouaten, HUR spokesman Andrey Yusov went public, boasting that his service had assisted in the ambush by providing “all the necessary information they [the attackers] needed.” There has been speculation, too, that more may have been involved, such as drones and weapons.

Now, you may think that after such a massive indiscretion, the hatches would go down, with Yusov officially disavowed, gagged, and locked away (or at least fired). But this is the Zelensky regime, founded by and revolving around a histrionic self-promoter. So, no damage control. On the contrary, once in a hole dug by a spy who can’t keep a secret, Ukraine’s “diplomats,” whose forte is being undiplomatic, kept digging: Yury Pivovarov, Kiev’s ambassador to Senegal – why offend only one African country when you can antagonize two? – posted a video on his embassy’s website to do some more bragging about helping kill Mali government forces in Mali. Senegal’s government summoned the “diplomat,” and the video has now disappeared. It does make you wonder: Are the Kiev “elite” sending their draft-dodgers off to do “diplomacy”? How do they select such gems?

There are, of course, two levels to Kiev’s cluster-fiasco. If what Yusov boasted about did actually happen, that is, if Ukraine assisted a de facto coalition of separatist insurgents and Jihadist terrorists in attacking and killing Malian government forces – and that includes the Wagner troops here because their mission had a mandate from Bamako – then Kiev has, obviously, committed a major crime. Indeed, in that case, Mali would have a clear casus belli justifying going to war against Ukraine as a matter of self-defense under international law.

It is another matter that, given geographical distance and Kiev’s ultimate irrelevance as well as tendency to punish itself, such an action would make no practical sense for Bamako. The Ukrainian government’s reaction to Mali severing ties has, by the way, betrayed a very bad conscience indeed. Kiev, absurdly, claims Mali has no evidence for its involvement. Excuse me? A Ukrainian high military intelligence officer and an ambassador boast about it and that’s “no evidence”? Sometimes, Kiev’s communications do sound as if produced under the influence.

If, on the other hand, Yusov and Pivovarov have simply fantasized it all (unlikely as that is), then we are left with the picture of a regime in which high officials take a masochistic pleasure in telling tall tales that can only greatly damage their country. And make no mistake, damage it they will. Because Ukraine’s flagrant misbehavior in this matter is finding international attention. The matter has by no means remained minor but is reverberating through media across the globe. Especially in the Global South, this incident will be noted and remembered as revealing Kiev’s aggression and arrogance.

That is, of course, doubly ironic. First, throughout the proxy war for which the Zelensky regime has allowed Ukraine to be used, Kiev and its so-called “friends” in the West have tried to advertise Ukraine as on a par with the post-colonial states of the Global South. The rhetorical strategy has been as obvious as it has been crude, namely to garner sympathy by appropriating what Asians, Africans, and South Americans have for so long suffered at the hands of the West: a form of perverse role-playing from a country that has aligned itself with just that West to a suicidal degree and that, clearly, has no problem at all reproducing the West’s deep, ultimately racist arrogance toward the Global South. Second, the Zelensky regime has also been desperately trying to mobilize the Global South on its side in its struggle with Moscow. It has failed abysmally. The Mali incident shows why, and also shows why it won’t ever succeed. Not before Ukraine’s elites overcome their stodgy provincialism and learn some respect. That is, probably never.

Why? Let Mali have the last word here. Its government spokesman Abdoulaye Maiga made it all very clear: “Ukraine’s involvement in a cowardly, treacherous and barbaric attack by armed terrorist groups […] violates Mali’s sovereignty, going beyond the scope of foreign interference, amounting to support for international terrorism.”

https://www.rt.com/news/602274-ukraine-mali-terrorists-global-south/

Russia increasing wheat exports to Africa, 09.12.2024.

Krasnodar Region shipped 14.8 million tons of grain to the continent over the first eight months of this year.

Wheat exports from Russia’s Krasnodar Region to 25 African countries increased by 14.4% between January and September 2024, totaling 14.8 million tons, the Centre of Grain Quality Assurance reported on Wednesday.

The government body said the top five African importers of Russian wheat by volume were Egypt (6.8 million tons), Algeria (1.3 million tons), Kenya (1.2 million tons), Libya (1.0 million tons), and Sudan (0.6 million tons).

Over August 25-31, the first shipments of Russian wheat from this year’s harvest were dispatched from Krasnodar Region ports to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Eritrea. The former received 17.2 thousand tons, while the latter received 31.5 thousand tons.

“This year, wheat shipments resumed to Gambia, Djibouti, and Ethiopia,” the Centre's press service announced.

According to the statement, the wheat undergoes rigorous quality and safety assessments at laboratories before being exported. The tests cover toxic elements like lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, mycotoxins, and contamination from impurities.

The Centre of Grain Quality Assurance operates 16 branches and 18 testing laboratories in the main grain-producing regions of Russia. It conducts product assessments according to detailed test protocols, issuing safety, quality, and GMO-free certificates to exporters, and ensuring that all shipments meet the stringent requirements of the importing countries.

In May, Russian Agriculture Minister Oksana Lut told a plenary session on food security at the international ‘Russia’ exhibition that grain exports are expected to rise to more than $55 billion by 2030, and added that the ministry also expects Russian farmers to boost production by 25% within six years in order to meet the president’s targets. The minister later announced that domestic grain exporters would be turning their focus to key markets in North Africa.

Russia became Morocco’s primary wheat supplier that same month, surpassing France, which had held the position since 2019. According to a local news agency, Morocco imported over 61,800 tons of wheat from Russia in May, representing approximately 26% of all wheat imports. Poland emerged as the second-largest supplier, while France fell to third place.

In April, Russian President Vladimir Putin called on the country’s agricultural sector to increase exports 50% by 2030 compared to figures recorded in 2021. The country’s exports of agricultural produce amounted to $37 billion that year.

At a meeting with the president in February, then Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev reported that Moscow had successfully delivered 200,000 tons of wheat to six low-income African nations, free of charge, making it the biggest humanitarian initiative ever conducted by Russia.

https://www.rt.com/africa/603904-russian-wheat-exports-africa-increase/

lancelot wrote:A 20 million country is twice the population of Belarus. So they could use like four gigawatt class power plants. Except they neither have the money nor the actual demand for it right now.

I guess they will build a couple of RITM-400 nuclear reactors or something like that. But it will take a long time to get there. Probably need to build a research reactor and train staff first. Might be a decade or two.

They'll be at 40 million before long. But the issue is not that, ultimately.

Burkina Faso is one of the least developed countries of the world. Their main export is gold, which they dig by hand.

Now do they need - schools, hospitals, irrigation systems, industries, roads, railroads, airports, mining machinery, agricultural mechanization, etc...? Yes absolutely, and all those things. And all those things require power, which they barely have any of either.

So if you were designing a 30-year plan for the modernization of the country - then a nuclear power plant would absolutely make sense as its centerpiece.

The issue is of course, is that they are in effect asking Russia to design such a plan for Burkina Faso, and then to implement it for them, because to build a nuclear power plant there, and then to load it up with demand, you will have to build both it and everything else from scratch. Probably down to first building the asphalt factories for the roads that would lead up to the power plant, and building the schools for educating the kids that would one day be sent to Russia to be trained as nuclear power plant technicians to operate the thing. Don't forget to build the petrol stations to supply the gasoline to the vehicles that will be going up and down delivering all that heavy equipment. Probably a railroad into Benin as well, else how are you even going to get any of that power equipment into a land-locked country in the first place?
Power grid? Oh you don't really have one? Okay, throw in a power grid too.

You'll have to invest a stupid amount of money into the country over a long period of time.
So the question is can Russia afford it, and is it worth it?
I suppose Russia can afford it, Russia has a lot of money lying around, and it can't just invest it into itself unless it wants to risk inflation. It has already invested about all it can into itself given its limits on the amount of cash it has in circulation and the stretched size of its labour-force presently. So it would certainly be prudent to invest spare money into assets such that they can appreciate over time.
In theory, a modernizing, rapidly economically growing, friendly country beholden to you is not a bad investment at all. Provided it can remain stable. And provided it gives you preferences and conditions to make it worth your while. Sure, then why not. Burkina Faso is certainly minerally-rich enough to provide collateral for Russia.

Russia set to gain access to Atlantic port – media, 09.24.2024.

Moscow reportedly plans to ratify an agreement on military cooperation with an island nation in the Gulf of Guinea.

Russia is poised to gain access to a naval port in the Atlantic Ocean through a bilateral military cooperation agreement with the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, located off the west coast of Africa.

A bill on the issue has been approved by a Russian government commission on legislative activity, RTVI reported on Monday, citing a source familiar with the discussions.

The draft treaty will be put to a vote in the State Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament. The first deputy chairman of the Duma’s Committee on International Affairs, Alexey Chepa, explained that ratifying the pact will allow Russian ships to be stationed in the Gulf of Guinea.

“Today, a large number of ports where our ships could come in for refueling are closed. Therefore, opportunities to find friendly ports significantly facilitate the activities of our fleet,” Chepa told RTVI.

Under the agreement between Russia and the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, which was initially signed in St. Petersburg in April, the two sides will exchange information and experience in the field of military education, and cooperate in providing engineering support for troops, combating piracy and terrorism, and providing military logistical support.

Cooperation is also expected to include joint exercises and other activities between the two countries’ armed forces.

The draft document says the agreement will last for an indefinite period, and that the adoption of the treaty will not require additional funds from the federal budget.

https://www.rt.com/russia/604576-russia-atlantic-ports-access/

Strategically important location as well.

African states to launch satellites with Russia, 09.25.2024.

Two launches have been planned to improve communications in the Sahel region.

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, has announced plans to develop a joint satellite program in collaboration with the Russian space group Roscosmos.

The initiative was unveiled by Mali’s minister of economy and finance, Alousseni Sanou, during a meeting in Bamako on Monday with officials from fellow AES members. The project includes the deployment of a communication satellite and an Earth remote sensing satellite.

According to Sanou, the communication satellite will facilitate the transmission of television and radio signals across the three AES countries. It will also enable the establishment of a multi-service communication network, including internet and telephone services, in remote and underdeveloped areas. High-speed internet access will be provided through Vsat technology, significantly enhancing connectivity.

The Earth remote sensing satellite will focus on gathering space images for monitoring national borders and reinforcing security measures. In addition, it will provide data for assessing natural resources, such as agricultural land and pastures, and for the emergency monitoring of natural disasters.

https://www.rt.com/africa/604649-african-states-launch-satellites-russia/

I'll put this here because Russia could take advantage of the situation:

Ugandan army chief issues ultimatum to US ambassador, 10.05.2024.

Ugandan army chief threatens US ambassador with expulsion.

MOSCOW, 4 Oct — RIA Novosti. Ugandan Defense Forces Commander General Muhoozi Kainerugaba said he would raise the issue of expelling US Ambassador William Popp from the country if he does not apologize by Monday for his "undiplomatic behavior" toward the republic and its top officials.

"If the current US Ambassador does not apologize to Mzee (Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni - Ed.) personally by Monday morning for his undiplomatic behavior in our country, we will demand that he leave Uganda," he wrote on the social network X.

In an earlier publication, the general clarified that the serious confrontation with the ambassador was connected with his disrespect "for the beloved and illustrious president" and the undermining of the Constitution of Uganda.

Local publication Nile Post noted the lack of clarification as to what kind of disrespect the diplomat was referring to, but wrote that the conflict could be caused by foreign interference in the republic's affairs. It is also noted that the general's words followed ongoing US sanctions against Ugandan officials for human rights violations.

https://ria.ru/20241004/uganda-1976460911.html

It's nothing new, Ugandan president Museveni has been in power for a very long time, and he's pretty famous for his anti-Western diatribes. And the West has been trying to get rid of him for a long time too. Sorta like the Gaddafi of central Africa.

Burkina Faso says it is turning away from the West and strengthening ties with Russia, by Elizaveta Shishkova for VZGLYAD. 10.08.2024.

Burkina Faso Prime Minister Expresses Dissatisfaction with Western Partners and Russia's Choice.

Burkina Faso is dissatisfied with cooperation with the West and has turned its attention to Russia, planning to strengthen ties in the military, economic and cultural spheres, said Prime Minister Apollinaire Joachim Kiel de Tambela.

"We do not consider our history of interaction with France and the West as a whole to be successful. That is why we have chosen the path to Russia," he said, noting changes in Burkina Faso society and the appearance of Russian flags, TASS reports .

The prime minister also stressed that Burkina Faso seeks strategic partnership with Russia in the military, economic and cultural spheres. The Russian embassy has already been opened in the country, and Burkina Faso has sent an ambassador to Moscow. "This is a symbol of mutual trust between our countries," he added.

Burkina Faso Ambassador to Russia Aristide Tapsoba spoke about the active development of bilateral cooperation. "Our military ties are rapidly developing, delegations from Burkina Faso have made more than five visits to Russia in six months," he said at the "Economic Days of Burkina Faso" forum.

In addition, Tapsoba noted the growth in the number of students from Burkina Faso in Russian universities and the intensification of cultural ties. In the economic sphere, the countries also maintain mutual contacts, and the Burkina Faso market is open to Russian business.

Earlier, the head of the Burkina Faso government requested a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The Burkina Faso Prime Minister also expressed the country's desire to join BRICS to counter the dominance of the dollar and euro and promote fairer trade relations in the international arena.

https://vz.ru/news/2024/10/8/1291367.html

Burkina Faso, Russia Discuss Ukraine's Support for Terrorism in Sahel - Prime Minister, 10.08.2024.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Burkina Faso has brought up Ukraine's support for terrorism in the Sahel region in its talks with Russia, Burkinabe Prime Minister Apollinaire Kyelem de Tambela told Sputnik on Tuesday.

"We discuss politics, culture and business with Moscow... We discuss this issue as well," the prime minister said when asked whether Moscow and Ouagadougou discussed Kiev's presence in the region.

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger wrote a joint letter to the UN Security Council in August urging the United Nations to take measures against Ukraine, which they accused of supporting terrorism in Sahel.

Mali broke off diplomatic ties with Ukraine on August 5 after accusing it of playing a role in a militant attack.

Senegalese public organizations said that a video published by Ukrainian military intelligence spokesperson Andriy Yusov confirming Kiev's involvement in the attack again proved that Ukraine was supporting armed groups in that country.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20241008/burkina-faso-russia-discuss-ukraines-support-for-terrorism-in-sahel---prime-minister-1120475637.html

The West is stepping up its fight against Russian influence in Africa, by Valeria Verbinina for VZGLYAD. 10.11.2024.

The West – and France in particular – is raising the stakes in the fight against Russia’s presence in Africa. This is evidenced by leaks in the French government press, new technical capabilities, and traces of interference by the Kyiv regime. In which country of the Black Continent is all this happening, and how exactly?

France, which is losing its influence in Africa, does not intend to give in so easily. If earlier it maintained military bases in Mali and neighboring countries under the pretext of the need to fight jihadists, now that its soldiers have been shown the door, the French authorities have changed their tune on the fly.

Since the new authorities of Mali cooperate with Russia , the former metropolis now de facto actively supports those whom it recently called terrorists and separatists. And active assistance in this is provided to France not only by its Western partners, but also by Ukraine.

"In northern Mali, Ukrainian drones clear the horizon for rebels," was the headline of an article in the pro-government French newspaper Le Monde. It is worth paying attention to one of the authors - reporter Emmanuel Grynszpan has previously worked extensively in Russia and Ukraine, and perhaps not only as a journalist. His other articles suggest the need to act against Russia, as well as Azerbaijan, which the French authorities believe had a hand in the protests in New Caledonia, an overseas department of France.

"Since this summer, the fighters of the Permanent Strategic Movement, who are mainly Tuaregs, have been using this type of weapon (i.e. drones) against the Malian army and their Wagner allies. With modest but still decisive support from Kyiv," Le Monde assures. "...From now on, the rebels have the means to carry out air strikes, just like their opponents. Which could change... the balance of power on the battlefield."

In early October, the newspaper claims, drones were used to attack a military camp in Goundama, near Timbuktu, where Russian fighters were allegedly mainly stationed. According to a certain “rebel,” at least nine Wagnerites were killed in the attack.

Earlier, in September, the same camp in Goundama was subjected to similar attacks, as well as 150 km away in Lera, "where Wagner soldiers were also located." The drones were first used in the July clash at Tin Zoutine, where units of the Malian army and its allies were ambushed and where at least 47 soldiers and 84 Wagnerites were killed.

It is no secret that Russian volunteers and instructors are providing support to Mali. Just a few days ago, the bodies of those killed in the July incident were returned to Russia . Kiev, unable to defeat Russia on the battlefield, decided to open a "second front" in Africa, supporting terrorist groups in African states friendly to Moscow, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.

Representatives of the Ukrainian military intelligence have openly stated that they have provided active assistance to the Tuareg rebels. In fact, the point is that Ukraine now agrees to be a proxy for the West in any military actions against Russian interests, including in Africa. And the West is ready to strengthen its proxy with any technical means, intelligence data, and satellite and any other intelligence information.

Here, for example, is a detailed article in the same Le Monde from mid-September. The text discusses the movements of the Malian army and the "Wagnerites", tracked by a certain user of the X network (blocked in Russia) with the remarkable nickname Casus Belli (which means "reason for war" in Latin).

His interests are stated as “mainly Africa and the former USSR”, and he posts satellite images on his account, along with analysis – how many vehicles are moving between points, how many soldiers might be involved in these movements, etc. And since the actions of only one warring party are made public in this way, there is no doubt in whose interests those behind this account are acting.

Until recently, when the function of fighting the Malian jihadists – or the appearance of it – was performed by soldiers sent from France, the separatists did not have drones. They were not provided with fresh satellite images with ready-made analysis, and in general, in the Western press they were called briefly and clearly, as they deserved – terrorists.

Now the wind has changed, as the West is clearly determined to counter Russia wherever possible and by any means short of direct military involvement. Those who were called terrorists yesterday are today being described in the Western press as rebels. Tomorrow, it is possible, they will be declared freedom fighters.

Since the Malian army and its allies from the Wagner Group are effectively forced to conduct military operations on the Malian-Algerian border, France is trying to make efforts to force Algeria to pull chestnuts out of the fire for it, that is, to also join in the pressure on both the Russian volunteers and the Malian authorities. This is clearly seen in the following passage of the article :

"On the other side of the border, these troop movements are not well received by the Algerian authorities, who have been in a latent conflict with the Malian transitional authorities for months. Algeria does not want foreign troops maneuvering a few kilometers from its border and fears possible unrest. In late July and early August, the Malian air force, supported by its Burkinabe allies, carried out several drone strikes in the Tin Zoutine area, forcing hundreds of civilians to urgently seek refuge on the Algerian side."

Of course, France would very much like Algeria to finally fall out with the current authorities of Mali, who dared to have too good relations with Russia, and ideally would send its troops against Mali and the "Wagnerites". However, France's relations with another of its former colonies are catastrophically bad.

The whole point is that Macron, with the grace of an elephant breaking into a china shop, got involved in the territorial dispute between Algeria and Morocco over Western Sahara and openly took Morocco's side. At the end of July, Algeria announced the recall of its ambassador, and at the beginning of October, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune refused to visit France with the following remarkable words : "I will not go to Canossa," that is, to deliberately humiliate myself for a dubious purpose. And just the other day, Algeria fundamentally refused to buy grain from France (even though it had sharply increased purchases from Russia in the spring).

Algeria has its own scores to settle with France – both for the nuclear tests carried out on its territory and for the colonialists’ policy towards the local population, which Tebboune calls genocide. At the same time, the Algerians are still enjoying the results of the 1968 agreements, which facilitate their move to France and which the French right demands to be cancelled, citing the fact that the growing number of migrants from Africa does not have the best effect on the crime situation. However, since France is experiencing demographic difficulties, it has nowhere to go and has to replenish the outgoing population with what it has. So, the cancellation of the agreements does not threaten Algeria in any case.

At the moment, the West views northern Mali, as well as Ukraine, as a territory of confrontation with Russia. Recently, an extremely telling trend has been visible. The further we go, the more sophisticated the means the West uses for this confrontation. If earlier we were talking only about intrigues with Mali's neighbors, now we are also talking about cooperation with the terrorist Kyiv regime, and the use of the latest technical means, including UAVs and satellite reconnaissance. This shows how much importance Paris and its Western allies attach to this region - and how seriously Russian policy now influences it.

https://vz.ru/world/2024/10/11/1291799.html

Africa witnessing ‘second awakening’ – Lavrov, 11.14.2024.

African nations are on their way to economic sovereignty, which Moscow fully supports, the Russian foreign minister has said.

There is a “second awakening” taking place across Africa as the continent seeks economic sovereignty, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.

In an interview with journalist Marina Kim for the ‘New World’ project on Thursday, Lavrov said there was a growing determination among African nations to break away from economic dependence on the West, which he accused of perpetuating neocolonial practices by extracting Africa’s resources without returning added value.

The inaugural Ministerial Conference of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Sochi, along with the Russia-Africa Summit held last year in St. Petersburg, underscores Africa’s shift toward true economic sovereignty, Lavrov stated.

He believes that, while many African nations gained political independence decades ago, they remain economically tied to Western companies that control resource extraction and value-added processes. Lavrov criticized the “pure neocolonialism” that sees Africa’s natural resources, including rare earth metals and uranium, being extracted by Western companies that retain profits abroad.

The foreign minister contrasted this to Russia’s approach, highlighting Moscow’s support for the development of local production infrastructure in Africa. “Russia, unlike Western countries, invests in Africa in ways that stimulate the production of goods needed by Africans,” he explained, citing fertilizer supplies as an example.

Lavrov recounted his own experience of facing difficulties with aviation fuel access at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg, noting that most aviation fuel suppliers in South Africa are foreign-owned. This, he said, reflects a broader issue of economic dependency. Although African nations have achieved formal de-colonization, Lavrov argued that true sovereignty including control over essential resources and industries is yet to be reached.

The ministerial conference, held on November 9 and 10 in Sirius, a federal venue near Sochi, saw around 1,500 delegates from across Africa, including 45 government ministers, participate in discussions aimed at strengthening economic and political cooperation.

During the event, Lavrov and other senior Russian diplomats met with foreign ministers and representatives of Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mali, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa, and other countries. Moscow signed agreements there with the Central African Republic (CAR), Rwanda, and others to simplify visa requirements for diplomats and boost cooperation in the humanitarian and economic fields.

The Russian foreign minister announced that the next Russia-Africa Ministerial Conference would take place in 2025, with Russia open to hosting or attending such an event in any African country chosen by its partners.

https://www.rt.com/africa/607626-africa-witnessing-second-awakening-lavrov/