The foreign ministers of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger are set to visit Moscow this week to strengthen ties between the Sahel nations and Russia, according to a joint statement from the three countries’ foreign ministries on Tuesday.
The West African nations, led by juntas that have seized power through coups in recent years, have formed an alliance called the Confederation of Sahel States (AES). This bloc has expelled French and other Western forces and turned to Russia for military support.
The foreign ministers will visit Moscow on April 3 and 4, where they will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, at his invitation, the statement revealed.
“The Moscow visit marks a significant step in establishing a strategic, pragmatic, dynamic, and supportive cooperation and partnership between the AES and Russia on matters of mutual interest,” the ministries stated.
The visit is being described as the first round of “AES-Russia consultations.”
The armed forces of these three countries are currently engaged in battling a jihadist insurgency that has spread across the region south of the Sahara, originating in Mali over a decade ago.
