France’s announcement of ending its military mission– 'Operation Barkhane', in west Africa’s Sahel region that stretches across 3,860-kilometre has thrown up an opportunity for Russia. And this comes just when the Vladimir Putin administration is actively looking to expand Russia’s hold in Africa.
As France's decision left several countries worried, Mali, one of the Sahel countries, has already reached out to private Russian companies including Wagner group, the paramilitary outfit to boost security, news organisation France 24 said in a report.
France has however hit back at Mali for turning to Russia for help.
According to the news organisation, French defence minister Florence Parly has warned that if Mali hired the firm, at a time when international partners fighting jihadism in the Sahel ‘had never been so numerous, such a choice would be that of isolation.’
Wagner is apprently owned by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a businessman, who is a Kremlin insider. The company's contractors have reportedly participated in the Syrian Civil War on the side of the Syrian government as well as, in the conflict in the Donbas region of Ukraine.
France 24 also noted that the presence of Russian paramilitaries, private-security instructors is growing steadily in Africa.
“While France along with several other countries have shown their discontent it is also important to understand the problem the African nations are facing relating to terror threats and overall security. Their limited resources often do not allow them to effectively combat these problems and they have to rely on other countries for help,” an analyst told India Narrative.
Also read: As the world hooks on to China, Russia under Putin quietly expands its network in Africa
French President Emmanuel Macron has already announced that the over 5,000-member Barkhane mission, which has been in place since 2013 to keep off the Islamic terror outfits and local militant groups that are linked to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL), would be reduced in a phased manner.
Macron’s announcement led to widespread concerns in the region as many said that the move would boost terror activities.
Russia has also been actively influencing internal political dynamics and governments. Consider this.
Guinea’s recently toppled President Apha Conde changed the country’s constitution in 2019 to seek a third term. Until then, Guinea’s Constitution allowed a President to serve only for two terms.
“Condé had a closed-doors meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2019 and, the following year, Guinea changed its constitution and Condé was elected for another six years (a somewhat similar process to the constitutional amendments approved in a referendum in Russia last year),” the Bell said.
Also read: By pulling out troops, is France handing over Africa to China and the Islamic State?
Moscow’s ambitions and interests in Africa were made clear when the first Russia-Africa summit was held in October 2019 at a resort on the Black Sea. It was attended by 45 heads of African states.
FDI Intelligence noted that following the event, 92 deals were signed between Russia and African countries with a total value of $13.95 billion.
