First Independent Mena Newspaper
Leaders across Africa and the Middle East are watching carefully the successful rebel offensive on Aleppo in Syria, experts and observers say, as this could create big problems for Russians and its so-called Africa Corps on the African continent. Experts and observers say that if the rebel offensive launched in the Syrian province of Aleppo […]
The UK government has announced dozens of new sanctions against Russia, targeting three private mercenary groups in Africa, linked to the Kremlin, and eleven people involved in the Ukraine war and associated with a nerve agent attack on British soil. “Today’s action disrupts the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine and bears down […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin and the chief of Niger’s military junta, Abdourahmane Tiani, had an important phone call on Tuesday (26 March), the Kremlin has revealed, adding that both men discussed “security cooperation” and security concerns in the Sahel region. The Russian leader and the chairman of Niger’s National Council also reportedly spoke about “strengthening […]
Russian President Vladimir Putin has zoomed in on his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron and his vocal criticism of Moscow’s war on Ukraine, arguing that this “emotional reaction” by the French president is due to “resentment” at losing allies in Africa to the Kremlin. In an interview published on Wednesday (13 March), Putin said heightened Russian […]
After Wagner Group’s collapse in mid 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin has recently launched a new Africa Corps, with 100 military staff officially deployed to Burkina Faso, with the aim to continue serving Russia’s interests on the continent — unofficially. While the war in Ukraine continues unabated, the depth of the ties between Burkina Faso […]
The Russian warlord at the head of the Wagner mercenary group that had been operating in several African countries has been reportedly killed in a business jet crash northwest of Moscow on Wednesday (23 August). Russia’s Federal Agency for Air Transport reported to have initiated an investigation of the crash of a plane en route […]
Mali’s military leader and interim president, Assimi Goita, had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday about the escalating situation in Niger, amid growing concerns in the West that Africa’s latest coup undermines its influence while presenting an opportunity to expand Russia’s presence in the West African region. The Kremlin said Mali’s […]
Only 16 African heads of state have arrived in St. Petersburg to attend the second Russia-Africa Summit — fewer than half of the 43 who came to the first summit in 2019 — a striking disappointment for the Kremlin despite its recent flurry of diplomatic efforts in the continent. Russian President Vladimir Putin is meeting […]
The Wagner Group’s mutiny against the Kremlin last week (23-24 June) could have major repercussions for the group’s operations in Africa, not least in the Central African Republic (CAR), Mali and other countries whose leaders have reportedly become very worried that the developments in Russia would bring an end to Wagner’s operations in their respective […]
The head of Mali’s military junta and the Russian leader were reported to have discussed on the phone security and economic relations between the two countries, just as a new report has highlighted the growing anti-French sentiments in French-speaking Africa that has spread beyond educated urban elites, arguing that the phenomenon could “take lasting root. […]