As of: January 27, 2024, 1:19 p.m
By: Babett Gumbrecht
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Burkina Faso's leader Ibrahim Traoré wants to strengthen relations with Russia.
© AFP
Around 100 Russian soldiers have apparently arrived in the Sahel state.
Why Russia is moving troops to West Africa for the first time.
Ouagadougou - Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin continues to expand his power.
In the middle of this week, around 100 Russian soldiers landed in Burkina Faso, a country in West Africa.
200 more are to follow.
This is confirmed by the
Reuters news agency
, citing security circles.
The military support is intended to ensure the protection of the country's leader Ibrahim Traoré and the Burkinabe people, according to the Telegram channel
Afrikakorps
, which claims to be subordinate to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Situation in Burkina Faso: state coups and terror
According to the French News Agency (AFP),
Burkina Faso is
one of the poorest countries in the world and experienced two military coups within a few months last year.
The military came to power, similar to neighboring Mali, out of dissatisfaction with the lack of success in the fight against jihadists in the country.
Traoré has been head of state since October 2022.
The political and humanitarian situation in the Sahel state with around 23 million inhabitants has been unstable for years.
Armed groups, some of which belong to the Islamic State terrorist group, are active there.
The situation is similar in the neighboring states of Mali and Niger.
According to research by the
human rights organization Human Rights Watch,
numerous civilians have already been killed in drone strikes against Islamist terrorists in Burkina Faso.
Between August and November last year alone, at least 60 civilians were killed and injured when drones attacked two markets and a funeral, the organization said.
She bases her statements on telephone and personal interviews with 30 people, including 23 witnesses to the attacks and seven members of national and international non-governmental organizations.
The victims are said to be people from Burkina Faso and neighboring Mali.
So far, France, which was a colonial power until 1960, has had a strong influence on the Sahel state.
The situation changed when the new rulers kicked French troops out of the country last year.
Reason: people were dissatisfied with France's support in the fight against terror.
New hope: Russia.
Burkina Faso is now relying on the support of Kremlin boss Putin.
Moscow and Ouagadougou are getting closer - and not just militarily
In fact, Russia and Burkina Faso recently became closer.
Last December, Russia reopened its embassy in the Sahel state after almost 32 years.
According to the
German Press Agency (dpa),
the Russian diplomatic mission in the capital Ouagadougou, which was closed in 1992, has been reoccupied.
The Burkinabe Foreign Ministry also stated this at the time
.
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In addition to a military rapprochement, Russia has also agreed to build a nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso.
In November, the West African country became one of the first African states to receive free Russian grain shipments.
And now the landing of Russian troops in the small landlocked country.
What does Putin want to achieve with Traoré's cooperation?
Expanding power in West Africa: What is behind Putin's strategy?
The US think tank
Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
suspects in a recently published situation report that the Kremlin is probably trying to expand Afrika Korps operations in Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
The US experts fear that by strengthening itself in the Sahel states, Russia is pursuing strategic goals such as destabilizing Europe, weakening Western sanctions and reducing Western influence worldwide.
Africa is also important to Moscow because of its mineral resources and raw materials.
Russia's replacement of France plays into Putin's hands.
But there is still a competitor.
The USA is also interested in better relations with West Africa.
Just a few days ago, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken set off on his trip to Africa.
The aim of the trip is closer cooperation with the continent.
The US government wants to “deepen, strengthen and expand” cooperation with all of Africa, said Blinken on Monday in Cape Verde.
Other destinations on his trip are Nigeria and Angola, according to the
AFP news agency
.
The US is trying to counter the growing influence of China and Russia in Africa.
(Babett Gumbrecht)