Russia signs Strategic Satellite Agreements with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger have agreed with Russia to acquire telecoms and surveillance satellites, in what is becoming a significant development in West Africa. According to Mali’s Finance Minister Aluseni Sanou, the telecoms vehicle is expected to provide television and radio broadcasting throughout the countries of the Sahel Alliance of States (ASG), internet and mobile phone services in remote areas, as well as secure communication channels. The remote sensing satellite will help monitor borders, determine natural resource reserves, and eliminate the consequences of emergency situations.

Executives from Roscosmos, Russia’s aerospace agency, met with ministers from the three countries in Mali’s capital Bamako on Monday to formalise the deal. The ASG countries, ruled by military juntas, have long faced problems in fighting Islamist rebels and have also sought Russian military assistance in that regard. Islamist rebels continue to operate across the vast and porous borders of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso in the semi-arid Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert. All three countries were formerly French heritage colonies, and their relations with Paris have become increasingly fraught in recent times.

The remote sensing satellite project is seen as a crucial part of the security strategy, especially after the recent attack by Islamist militants on Bamako airport, a target far from the jihadists’ usual areas of operation.

The Sahel Alliance of States was created by the military leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger last September to provide a collective defence architecture in response to international pressure for an early return to civilian rule. The Wagner Group, now part of the Russian military, is helping to prevent further political instability. The last American and French troops left the region at the end of 2023. Niger was a major source of uranium for France’s nuclear industry.

Russia has been actively working to expand its influence in Africa, especially in the Sahel, as relations between countries in the region and their Western allies have deteriorated.

However, despite the presence of the Russian military, the security situation remains unstable and requires investment, which Russia intends to provide.

Rosatom is implementing a project to build a nuclear power plant in Burkina Faso, which will further help energy and development in the region. Burkina Faso has also expressed interest in joining the BRICS group, while Chad, another Sahelian state, is also keen to develop closer ties with Moscow.