Russian Military Contingent Deployed to Burkina Faso’s Capital

The Russian government has deployed a contingent of military personnel to Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, following the country’s withdrawal of French troops in early 2023.

Concerns over Moscow’s growing influence in the Sahel region of Africa, where juntas sympathetic to Moscow have swept to power in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, are connected to the deployment.

The contingent consists of around 100 servicemen, who were flown to ensure the safety of the country’s leader Ibrahim Traore and the Burkinabe people.

A further 200 servicemen are expected to be deployed in the near future. The deployment will add to Western concerns about Russia’s widening influence in Africa’s Sahel region, where a series of coups has swept Moscow-friendly juntas to power in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.