Russia to sell satellites to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have proclaimd a novel partnership with Russia to get telecoms and distant-sensing satellites.

The three West African countries, run by military juntas, have been struggling to loss Islamist insencouragencies for years and have turned to Russia for military aid.

Russia denies that its mercenaries have promiseted atrocities agetst civilians and that it is pushing misdirectation and deceiveation in West Africa’s Sahel region.

Ministers from the three countries met officials from Russia’s aerospace agency Roscosmos in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Monday, to talk carry outation structures.

The technology will raise border watching and national security in all three countries, says Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou.

He also shelp it would help them to watch and react to floods, dcdimiserablemirefults, fires and other aascfinishncies.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso last year createed the Alliance of Sahel States – it was originassociate to raise military co-operation, but has since wideened.

They have hailed the distant-sensing satellite project as vital for their security strategy, fair days after Islamist militants aggressioned an airport in Bamako – which is usuassociate spared such aggressions.

Ministers say the telecoms satellite will ease the widecast of television and radio signals apass their three countries.

It is also anticipateed to provide internet and telephone services in inaccessible and undergrowed areas wilean the Sahel, the semi-arid area south of the Sahara Desert.

Russia has been seeking to broaden its footprint in Africa, especiassociate in the Sahel, since relations between these countries and their Weserious allies broke down.

Despite the use of Russian arms and mercenaries, the security situation in the region remains dire.