Three West African countries, run by military juntas, have established a crucial deal with Russia to acquire telecoms and surveillance satellites, aiming to enhance national security amid ongoing challenges from Islamist insurgencies.
The ministers from Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso met with officials from Russia’s aerospace agency, Roscosmos, in Bamako on Monday to formalise the agreement, BBC reports.
Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou, stated that the technology will boost border surveillance and national security in all three countries, adding that it would enable secure communications.
He also indicated that the satellites would assist in monitoring and responding to floods, droughts, fires, and other emergencies.
The long, porous borders of the three nations are heavily patrolled by Islamist insurgents within the vast semi-arid Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.
Sanou remarked that the remote-sensing satellite project is vital for their security strategy, especially following a recent attack by militants on an airport in Bamako, far from typical conflict zones.
Ministers have noted that the telecoms satellite will facilitate the broadcast of television and radio signals across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It is also anticipated to provide internet and telephone services in inaccessible and underdeveloped areas within the Sahel.
Since relations with their Western allies have deteriorated, Russia has sought to expand its influence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel region.
Despite the provision of Russian weapons and mercenaries, the security situation remains dire, with Russia denying accusations of atrocities against civilians and the dissemination of propaganda and misinformation in West Africa’s Sahel region.
In a summit held in Niamey, Niger’s capital in July, the leaders of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali signed a historic confederation treaty. The agreement strengthens the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a mutual defense pact established last year.
The signing marked a significant milestone, as it was the first joint summit between Niger’s General Abdourahmane Tchiani, Burkina Faso’s Captain Ibrahim Traore, and Mali’s Colonel Assimi Goita since they seized power in successive coups in their neighboring West African countries.
Notably, the treaty came just months after the three nations withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc in January, signaling a new era of cooperation and solidarity among the Sahel states.