Russia’s Lavrov Pushes Military Pacts Across 4 African Nations in One Week
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has secured pledges for closer military and security ties with at least four African nations during a multi-stop tour, offering to help Mozambique fight a “terrorist threat” and promising more support to junta-led governments in the Sahel.
Lavrov began his Africa tour in Ethiopia, meeting with the chairperson of the African Union Commission to signal Moscow’s push to strengthen ties with the continent [191570]. In Burundi, he met with the president and his counterpart, with both sides reaffirming their commitment to deepen political and economic cooperation, including trade and security collaboration [193398].
In Mozambique, Lavrov met with the president in Maputo and offered Russian assistance in “eliminating the terrorist threat” in the country’s oil-rich north, where the government is battling an insurgency [191840][193374]. No specific details of the proposed assistance have been disclosed [191840].
Russia also announced it will continue to provide military backing for the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which form the Alliance of Sahel States, after a meeting in Niger’s capital, Niamey [191796]. The agreement reinforces Moscow’s growing influence in the region [191796].