Sahel states seek Russian telecom, remote-sensing satellites

The military ruled states in the Sahel, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali are seeking to acquire telecoms technology and remote-sensing satellites from Russia as they seek to counter the surge of terrorist activity.

Ministers from the three countries met officials from Russia’s aerospace agency Roscosmos in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Monday, to discuss implementation plans, the BBC reported.

The Russian technology will help with border surveillance, the BBC cited Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso last year formed the Alliance of Sahel States – it was originally to boost military cooperation, but has since broadened.

They have hailed the remote-sensing satellite project as crucial for their security strategy, just days after Islamist militants attacked an airport in Bamako – which is usually spared such assaults.