Russia strengthens Sahel ties as West departs

Russia has hosted a high-level meeting with several Sahel countries, promising to train their militaries and supply them with weapons and equipment.

As reported by the Associated Press, Russian Foreign Minster Sergey Lavrov held the meeting on April 3 with key Sahel nations including Mail, Burkina , and Niger.

While the full details of  what was discussed remain undisclosed, Lavrov described the talks as successful. In a statement to the press, he emphasized “Moscow’s readiness to help expand the potential of the united armed forces of the Sahel”, adding that Russia was also willing to provide military equipment.

Russia’s renewed focus on the Sahel comes at a time when the region is grappling  with a surge in terrorism and the steady retreat of Western powers. As previously reported by Maghrebi, the Sahel has become one of the most terrorism-affected regions in the world, with “over half of all terrorism -related deaths” globally occurring there fueled by cheap yet sophisticated weapons being illegally diverted to Libya from Ukraine where terrorist gangs from the Sahel buy them in the arms market, revealed in a 2023 investigation.

The rise of extremist groups such as IS-Sahel has further destabilized the region, which is already plagued by political uncertainly and growing instability.

Compounding the crisis is the shift in governance-many Sahel nations are now run by military juntas, a fact that has alienated key Western partners. As a result , countries like France and the US have withdrawn their military support, citing a lack of trust in the current governments.

In response, the countries formed the Alliance of Sahel States, a regional bloc aimed at mutual defence against insurgent groups and other perceived threats to their sovereignty.

Now, with Western influence receding, Russia appears ready to step in and fill the void.

Whether Moscow’s involvement will help stabilize the region or further complicate its fragile dynamics remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that Russia’s growing presence in the Sahel will not go unnoticed as it continues to reshape global power dynamics..

Associated Press, Maghrebi