The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger are in Moscow for their first official talks with Russia, as the three Sahelian countries work to strengthen ties with Moscow after cutting relations with France and its allies.
The talks mark the first round of "consultations" between Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States, a political and military alliance created in 2023 by Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, and known by its French acronym AES.
All three countries are led by military juntas that seized power in coups between 2020 and 2023. They have expelled French forces, withdrawn from the West African bloc Ecowas, and turned to Russia for political and military support.
The ministers are in Moscow Thursday and Friday at the invitation of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
In a joint statement posted on Facebook, they said the meeting reflects the "shared desire" of the AES and Russia to deepen their partnership and place political dialogue at the heart of their diplomatic, development and defence agenda.
"This meeting is part of the common will of our heads of state and the Russian Federation to strengthen our political dialogue and cooperation in diplomacy, development and defence," the statement said.
Defence deals
Russia has already signed defence agreements with the three AES countries and supplied arms and military training. Mercenaries from the Africa Corps – the rebranded Wagner group – are also active in the region, supporting their fight against jihadist insurgents.
The foreign ministers described the talks as "an important step" toward building strategic and pragmatic cooperation in areas of shared interest.
Jihadist groups remain active across the Sahel, where violence that began in Mali more than a decade ago has spread to neighbouring countries and displaced millions.
In addition to defence, Russia is also working with the AES on energy and mining projects.
A regional investment bank created by the alliance in March is expected to pursue financing and partnerships with Moscow as part of its development strategy.
