MOSCOW

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have agreed to form a joint armed force to combat terrorist groups in the region, Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop announced on Thursday.

The three countries are in the process of forming a joint force to fight terrorism in the region, Diop said at a news conference in Moscow following a meeting of representatives from the Alliance of Sahel States (AHS) with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"We've achieved promising results in combating terrorist groups in our three countries. Our principal objective now is to form a united Sahelian confederation force to tackle the terrorist threat," the minister declared.

Diop identified defense, security, diplomacy, and development as the cornerstones of the proposed confederation, emphasizing that the alliance considers Russia a "strategic partner" in these endeavors.

At the same time, Diop harshly criticized Ukraine for its "destructive" activities in Africa, accusing it of supporting and sponsoring terrorism in the Sahel region, saying, "For us, Ukraine is a terrorist state."

Last August, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger petitioned the president of the UN Security Council to denounce the Ukrainian government's “open and assumed support for international terrorism,” particularly in Africa’s Sahel region.

The move followed comments by Ukrainian officials suggesting that Kyiv had played an important role in attacks by Tuareg separatist rebels that caused the deaths of many Malian soldiers in the northeastern village of Tinzawaten on the border with Algeria in July 2024.

For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov expressed Moscow's readiness to contribute to the formation of a combined military force uniting Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.

"Russian experts stand ready to assist in designing a scheme for equipping the AHS forces with specific weaponry," Lavrov affirmed.

The meeting also discussed the implications of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger's withdrawal from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Lavrov indicated that Russia supports establishing harmonious coexistence between the two blocs and will help to mend ties between them.

"Russia is prepared to facilitate a constructive, equitable dialogue to this end. Should our assistance prove useful, we would gladly extend it," he added.

Meanwhile, Nigerian Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare announced at the same news conference that his country has decided to open a Russian embassy within its borders, which will be inaugurated in the near future.