Invitations from Russian President Vladimir Putin have been sent to the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit.
The date for the third Russia-Africa Summit has not been confirmed.
The invitations were handed over following a meeting held on 18 April in Lomé between Russian officials and representatives of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), according to the Russian Embassy in Burkina Faso.
During the meeting, Tatiana Dovgalenko, Director of the Department for Partnership with Africa at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Burkina Faso’s Foreign Minister Jean-Marie Traore, his Nigerien counterpart Bakary Yaou Sangare, and Mali’s Ambassador-at-Large Mahamane Amadou Maiga.
Talks focused on strengthening the dialogue mechanism between Moscow and the AES, with an emphasis on preparations for upcoming ministerial consultations, it was indicated.
The parties also affirmed their shared commitment to deepening their cooperation, particularly within the framework of the Russia–Africa Partnership Forum.
Relations between these three Sahelian countries and their traditional partner, France, have deteriorated in recent years.
In Mali, the end of Operation Barkhane in 2022 marked the departure of French forces following the transitional authorities’ denunciation of the defence agreements. In Burkina Faso, the presence of Operation Sabre came to an end in early 2023 at the request of the new authorities that emerged from the coup of September 2022.
Finally, in Niger, the break came after the coup of July 2023, with the complete withdrawal of French troops finalised at the end of the same year, bringing an end to Paris’s last major foothold in the
region.
At the same time, these three countries have consolidated their rapprochement within the Alliance of Sahel States, founded on the principles of security sovereignty and regional solidarity. This
reorientation is accompanied by an increased partnership with Russia.
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