Amid the redefinition of international alliances in the Sahel, the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) is intensifying its partnership with Russia.
At the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger – the three members of the Confederation of Sahel States (AES) – will meet on April 3 and 4, 2025, in Moscow for the first official session of the AES-Russia consultations.
This meeting aims to anchor cooperation between the AES and Russia within an institutional framework, in accordance with the Confederation’s Year 1 roadmap under Malian chairmanship.
Since 2023, Russia has consolidated its presence in the Sahel region through bilateral agreements and direct assistance to AES member states. In terms of security, it has delivered military equipment, including Mi-8 helicopters, observation drones, and communications equipment, to support efforts to combat armed groups.
According to official sources, these deliveries have helped strengthen counterterrorism operations in the three countries.
In terms of energy, Rosatom signed a memoranda of understanding in 2024 for the development of nuclear power plants in Mali and Burkina Faso.
Furthermore, a 200 megawatts solar power plant is currently under construction in Sanankoroba, Mali, partly financed by Russian investment.
These projects aim to address the structural energy deficit that is hampering industrial development in the region.
In the area of training, Russia has increased the number of scholarships and now welcomes more than 500 military and civilian students from the Sahel to its technical and defense institutes.
Russian trainers are also deployed to military academies in the Sahel.
The Moscow consultations are expected to lead to a permanent framework for dialogue and cooperation in the areas of defense, energy, education, health, and infrastructure.
There are part of a geostrategic repositioning of the AES, which is asserting its diplomatic sovereignty by diversifying its international partnerships.
MD/ac/fss/gik/APA