Sahel states cement military ties with Moscow
On August 14th, Russia hosted its first official military consultations with defence ministers from Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the three countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), reported The News Chronicle on August 19th.
The Moscow summit with Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov underscored deepening ties between the Kremlin and the AES, a bloc formed by military-led governments distancing themselves from France and Western allies. The meeting produced a joint statement and memorandums of understanding on training, arms supply and counterterrorism.
The AES emerged after coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger triggered ECOWAS sanctions. Once close partners of France and the US, the three states expelled French forces, curtailed US operations and sought new alliances. Moscow stepped in, sending military equipment and instructors from 2021, initially through the Wagner group but now via the Russian Africa Corps. Russia has positioned itself as a security guarantor and champion of sovereignty.
In April 2025, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov launched “AES-Russia consultations” on counterterrorism, political coordination and investment. Moscow has promised weapons, training and support against organised crime in return for access to natural resources. AES leaders, sitting on bountiful gold and uranium reserves, see this as a route to economic sovereignty in their haste to pursue anti-colonial narratives.
“Currently, cooperation in the field of defence is the largest area of cooperation between our countries”, Mali’s Defence Minister Sadio Camara said at the summit in Moscow.
Critics warn of dependency, with human rights reports citing Russian-linked civilian massacres. With Western counterterrorism efforts faltering, the Sahel has become a new arena for global influence, where Russia is seeking African footholds in a resource-rich region and UN leverage on the geopolitical field.
The summit reportedly produced symbolic support but no concrete results. At a time when Moscow is strained by its war in Ukraine and subsequent sanctions, whether rhetoric will translate into real security and investment remains to be seen.
In a shifting global order, it’s all to play for as the AES looks for new economic and political relations worldwide.
The News Chronicle, Maghrebi
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