Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso have announced a new partnership with Russia for the procurement of telecom and remote sensing satellites.
The three West African countries, which are ruled by military juntas, have been fighting Islamic uprisings for years and are asking Russia for military support.
Russia denies that its mercenaries atrocities committed against civilians and that’s it spread propaganda and disinformation in the Sahel region of West Africa.
Ministers from the three countries met officials from Russia’s aerospace agency Roscosmos in Mali’s capital Bamako on Monday to discuss implementation plans.
According to Alousséni Sanou, Mali’s finance minister, the technology will improve border control and national security in all three countries.
He also said it would help them monitor and respond to floods, droughts, fires and other emergencies.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso formed the Alliance of Sahel States last year. Originally, this was intended to strengthen military cooperation, but the cooperation has since been expanded.
They have declared the remote satellite monitoring project a key part of their security strategy, just days after Islamist militants attacked an airport in Bamako, which is usually spared from such attacks.
Ministers say the telecom satellite will facilitate the broadcasting of television and radio signals in their three countries.
It also aims to provide internet and telephone services in inaccessible and underdeveloped areas of the Sahel, the semi-arid region south of the Sahara.
Russia has been trying to expand its presence in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, as relations between these countries and their Western allies deteriorated.
Despite the deployment of Russian weapons and mercenaries, the security situation in the region remains dire.
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