Mali and Russia Strengthen Bilateral Security Partnership

Mali’s foreign minister Abdoulaye Diop and Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov met in Moscow to strengthen their bilateral security partnership. The two leaders vowed to strengthen their defense capabilities, with Russian fighters from the Wagner group helping the army make inroads against separatist Tuareg forces in northern Mali.

Russia’s foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, emphasized the importance of interacting in the military and military-technical sphere, and the strengthening of Mali’s defense capability through the work of Russian instructors and training personnel on Russian territory.

Lavrov also mentioned that Moscow supplied Bamako with 25,000 tons of wheat and 17,000 tons of fuel in January, amidst a deadly Islamist insurgency and regional sanctions impacting Mali’s finances. The two leaders agreed to continue supporting Mali’s humanitarian needs.