Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation

Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation
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Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Burkina Faso's interim President Ibrahim Traore meet following the Russia-Africa summit in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on July 29, 2023. (TASS Host Photo Agency via REUTERS)
Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation
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In this image from video broadcast by RTB state television, coup spokesman Capt. Kiswendsida Farouk Azaria Sorgho reads a statement in a studio in Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, on Sept. 30, 2022. (RTB via AP, File)
Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation
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Updated 01 September 2023
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Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation

Burkina Faso leader discusses military cooperation with Russian delegation
  • The junta-led West African country’s relations with Moscow have been in the spotlight since it booted out French troops in February
  • Moscow has been expanding its influence in Africa amid waning Western interest

OUAGADOUGOU: A Russian delegation held talks with Burkina Faso’s interim president Ibrahim Traore on Thursday at a meeting that included discussions on possible military cooperation, the Burkinabe presidency said in a statement.
It said the visit, led by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, was a follow-up to talks between Traore and Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July.
The junta-led West African country’s relations with Moscow have been in the spotlight since it booted out French troops in February, fueling speculation it would deepen security ties with Russia like neighboring Mali, where Russian Wagner mercenaries operate.
The meeting addressed “areas of cooperation (which) primarily concern the military domain, including the training of Burkinabe officer cadets and officers at all levels, including pilots in Russia,” the statement said.
It did not say if Russian military trainers would be sent to Burkina Faso.
The visit could be a further sign that Moscow is seeking to shore up its influence in Africa in the wake of the death of mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who through the Wagner Group built up a network of interests across several African countries and beyond.