Russia continues to expand its relations with Africa and especially the Sahel region. Last week, Niger became the latest African country to sign a military cooperation agreement with Moscow. There are already more than 40 nations that receive training, advice and, above all, material from the Russian army or from one of the private companies in its shadow, such as Wagner. However, it is not just a question of security. Under the guise of mercenaries, helicopters or trainers, Russia is also expanding its soft power to the entire Sahel region, establishing trade relationships and building important infrastructure. Recent examples include the gold refinery projects in Mali and the agreement to expand nuclear energy in that country and Burkina Faso.
Last week, Niger's Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine and Defense Minister General Salifu Modi met with senior Russian Defense Ministry officials in Moscow. According to a Kremlin statement, both sides agreed to strengthen security ties and “intensify joint measures to stabilize the situation in the region.” The goal, the note says, is to “increase the combat readiness” of the Nigerian military.
This Sahel country, which has been ruled by a military junta since last summer's coup, is following the path of its neighbors Mali and Burkina Faso, which, after the expulsion of French troops from their territory, already have Russian trainers deployed to help them in their war against jihadism from al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, the biggest threat in the region. In parallel, European defense cooperation missions such as the EUTM in Mali or Gar-si Sahel, in which Spain played a very important role, are currently at a standstill and on the verge of disappearing completely.
Huge mineral reserves
However, Russian cooperation with the Sahel goes far beyond the military area. Two of the continent's major challenges are driving the transformation of its vast mineral resources and energy sector, which go hand in hand. More than half of Africa's 1.4 billion people have no access to electricity, and industrialization is unimaginable without energy. Russia has stepped on the accelerator in both areas and is offering a source it knows well: nuclear power. The state-owned atomic energy company (Rosatom) has bilateral agreements with twenty African countries, including its star project: the construction of a four-reactor nuclear power plant west of Alexandria in Egypt, 85% financed by Moscow.
As part of the strengthening of its relations with the Sahel countries, Rosatom signed last October during the VI. Russian Energy Week Forum Agreements with Burkina Faso and Mali providing for the development of this technology in both countries. According to the company itself, “Russia is actively developing cooperation with foreign countries.” Despite external restrictions, the national economy is increasing its export potential and supplying goods, services and raw materials around the world. Rosatom and its departments are actively involved in this work.”
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In addition, in Mali, Russia has reached an agreement with the military authorities to build the largest gold refinery in West Africa, which, according to Economy and Finance Minister Alousséni Sanou, will have a production capacity of about 200 tons per year. “This will not only allow us to control all gold production, but also to correctly apply all taxes and duties,” said Sanou. In 2022, Mali produced about 72 tonnes of gold, six of which were artisanal and the rest from foreign companies, particularly Canadian, Australian and British companies. According to the Malian government, which has just reformed mining law, the precious metal accounts for 25% of the state budget, 75% of export revenue and 10% of gross domestic product.
Russia's return to Africa after the Soviet Union's heyday began in the mid-2000s, but the final surge came after Russian troops invaded Crimea in 2014 and is experiencing its moment of glory in 2019 with the first Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi. With this strategy, Moscow is trying to break the isolation to which the Western bloc wants to subject it and gain access to markets and natural resources. Although the privileged regions of this cooperation are the Maghreb and the southern countries, in recent years their influence has expanded to virtually every corner, with the Sahel being the spearhead of a strategy that benefits from or encourages the decline of the Western presence.
The second Africa-Russia summit, which took place in Saint Petersburg in 2023 in the presence of around twenty African heads of state and President Vladimir Putin himself, reinforced this trend. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the volume of trade, certainly even away from China, India or the European Union, has practically doubled in the last decade. The grain diplomacy launched by Russia in the current conflict in Ukraine shows the depth of the relationship: Moscow is already sending wheat without return to six African countries: Mali, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic (where Wagner plays a crucial role), Zimbabwe, Somalia and Eritrea .
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