Russia and the Sahel states have accused both France and Ukraine of colluding with terrorist groups that carried out attacks against Mali and Niger in recent weeks, including an attack against Niamey airport in Niger last January, claimed by ISIS, and another against Mali at the end of last April, claimed by al-Qaeda.

These accusations came in a joint statement issued Wednesday following the second round of consultations between the foreign ministers of Russia and the Confederation of Sahel States, consultations attended by Sergey Lavrov in the Nigerien capital Niamey with the foreign ministers of the Sahel states: Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, respectively Abdoulaye Diop, Bakary Yau Sangaré, and Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré.

Lavrov during a meeting with General Abdourahamane Tiani, President of Niger (Russian Foreign Ministry)

The joint statement, published by the Russian Foreign Ministry, strongly condemned "the barbaric and vile terrorist attacks that occurred in the Confederation of Sahel States, particularly those targeting institutions and cities of the Republic of Mali on April 25, 2026, and the aggression targeting (Air Base 101) and Diori Hamani International Airport in Niamey, Republic of Niger, on January 28 and 29, 2026."

The statement added that "the attacks not only targeted sovereign states but also the collective security of the confederation and regional stability in general," and praised what it called "the significant contribution of the armed forces of the Russian Federation in combating terrorism and insecurity in the Sahel region."

New Colonialism

In the context of repeated accusations against the West, the joint statement said that Russia and the Sahel states "noted the involvement of external international parties in these barbaric, coordinated assaults, and in acts of economic and media terrorism within the confederation's space."

The statement referred to what it called "the condemned collusion between Ukraine and France, and other states, with terrorist groups active in the Sahel region," before strongly condemning "these destructive acts aimed at undermining the sovereignty of the confederation's states and stability in the region."

In his speech during the consultations, the Russian Foreign Minister said that Russia and the Sahel states "agree on the necessity of forming a multipolar and just world order, and joint work to confront the new colonial practices that remain ingrained in our Western colleagues."

Group photo of the foreign ministers of the Sahel states and the Russian Foreign Minister (Russian Foreign Ministry)

African Awakening

Lavrov added that "the entire world is undergoing geopolitical transformations, and Africa is a prominent and clear example of this," noting that what Africa is now experiencing is a "second awakening," and said that in this awakening, "the continent aspires not only to political independence and international legal representation, but also to the ability to manage its own natural resources."

Lavrov affirmed that African states "want to ensure that these raw resources are not exported to other countries where the main added value is concentrated, but rather want to achieve this added value within the African continent itself," stressing that "Russia is ready to contribute effectively in this regard."

Lavrov said: "Our country, our companies, and the relevant economic and financial institutions are fully prepared to effectively accompany our African friends in this approach." He noted that Moscow is preparing in next October to host the third Russia-Africa Summit, whose agenda will focus on economic, trade, and investment issues.

Aerial view of the city of Gao in central Mali (AFP)

Gateway to the Sahel

Russia is clearly relying on the Sahel states as a gateway to enter African markets; on Wednesday, Lavrov and his counterparts in the Sahel states signed a memorandum of understanding establishing regular consultations, accompanied by the first concrete plan for these consultations covering the next two years.

During a press conference following the consultations, Lavrov said he discussed with the Sahel states "expanding cooperation in a (3+1) format to include areas other than foreign policy, particularly the economy and finance, including cooperation between central banks," while the final statement indicated Russia's support for the "Confederal Investment and Development Bank" project planned by the Sahel states.

Malian soldiers seen during a patrol near the Niger border (Archive - Reuters)

Lavrov said: "We also touched on the mutual interest in establishing parliamentary cooperation, which is a promising area given the role of parliaments in supporting legislative activity." He added that the discussion also included "activating cooperation mechanisms within the United Nations."

The Russian Foreign Minister said: "There is no doubt that counter-terrorism was a priority in our discussions today. In this area as well, mechanisms can be established for continuous monitoring of manifestations that hinder our development, particularly through identifying and dismantling financing networks; terrorism represents a pressing and rapidly impacting problem for both the Confederation of Sahel states and the Russian Federation."

The final statement welcomed what it called "the intensification of military and military-technical cooperation between the member states of the confederation and the Russian Federation," while the Russian side affirmed "its country's determination and will to continue supporting the enhancement of the operational capabilities of the armed forces of the member states and the unified force of the Confederation of Sahel States."

Malian supporters of the coup in Bamako in 2020 (AP)

Trusted Partner

For his part, Burkina Faso's Foreign Minister Karamoko Jean-Marie Traoré said during a joint press conference with Lavrov that "Russia has always stood by the Sahel states in their quest for liberation, and in their struggle to build true sovereignty and develop internal self-capabilities that enable them to ultimately break free from forms of domination."

Karamoko added that "Russia was among the partners that proved steadfast and remained when others left," in reference to France and the West, and said that the Russians are "partners who extended a helping hand sincerely, at a time when others were trying to maintain formulas and models that do not allow the Sahel states to overcome their crises."

He explained that "huge strides have been made in security cooperation with Russia," and said: "Russia was present alongside our states in the security field, and continues to accompany us in this arena. Today, this cooperation has transcended the purely security and defense domain to other economic and commercial areas."

Patrol of Malian army elements in the capital Bamako in August 2020 (AP)

Resumption of Fighting

Concurrently with the Russia-Sahel consultations in Niamey, fighting was raging in the Anéfis area in northern Mali between Tuareg rebels allied with al-Qaeda and the Malian army supported by Russian forces, fighting that has been ongoing since last Saturday.

The Malian army said in a statement that on Wednesday it carried out 13 airstrikes, resulting in the destruction of six combat vehicles, one pickup truck, and the neutralization of about 100 terrorists, and the Malian army affirmed that it continues its war on terrorism until victory.

Traffic on a main road in the Malian capital Bamako on Saturday (AFP)

As for the Russian Africa Corps, which is leading the battles in Anéfis, it published photos of what it said were terrorist elements killed during the fighting, and videos it said prove that the rebels suffered heavy losses, noting that the rebel leaders are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of their fighters when they ordered them to fight.