RUSSIA TO SELL SURVEILLANCE, TELECOMS SATELLITES TO MALI, NIGER, BURKINA FASO MILITARY REGIMES. (PHOTO).

 Russia To Sell Surveillance, Telecoms Satellites To Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso Military Regimes

The Alliance of Sahel States(AES) have made an important agreement with Russia to obtain telecoms and surveillance satellites. This agreement aims to improve national security in the face of ongoing challenges from Islamist insurgencies.

The ministers of countries that make up the alliance, Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso met with officials from Russia’s aerospace agency, Roscosmos, in Bamako to finalize the deal, as reported by the BBC.

Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou, said that the technology will improve border surveillance and national security in all three countries. It will also enable secure communications. Additionally, he mentioned that the satellites will help in monitoring and responding to floods, droughts, fires, and other emergencies.

Sanou emphasized that the remote-sensing satellite project is crucial for their security strategy, especially after a recent attack by militants on an airport in Bamako, which is far from typical conflict zones.

The ministers highlighted that the telecoms satellite will help broadcast television and radio signals across Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. It is also expected to provide internet and telephone services in inaccessible and underdeveloped areas within the Sahel.

In a summit held in Niamey, Niger's capital in July, the leaders of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali signed a historic confederation treaty. The agreement strengthens the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a mutual defense pact established last year.

The signing marked a significant milestone, as it was the first joint summit between Niger's General Abdourahmane Tchiani, Burkina Faso's Captain Ibrahim Traore, and Mali's Colonel Assimi Goita since they seized power in successive coups in their neighboring West African countries.

Notably, the treaty came just months after the three nations withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional bloc in January, signaling a new era of cooperation and solidarity among the Sahel states.