Military juntas’ confederation project may be orchestrated in Moscow

As part of its colonialist policy in Africa, Russia has launched the process of creating a puppet Confederation project involving Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. Therefore, by using its control over governments that took power due to Moscow-supported coups d’etat, the Kremlin is strengthening its presence on the continent.

Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are currently governed by putschists after successful coups in their countries. The acting leaders of the three countries have resisted the demands of ECOWAS to implement transitions to civilian rule.The West African regional bloc, based on its regulations, imposed sanctions on the countries as part of efforts to make them return to civilian rule.

Mr.Maiga, who is also Mali’s minister of Territorial Organization and Decentralization, said the confederation recommendation was sounded at a November 2023 meeting attended by the countries’ ministers of development affairs.

They also recommended expanding the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) objectives in diplomacy and economic development. The AES was created in September 2023, a few months after the Niger coup.

The conclusions about the Russian project in Africa confirm our previous estimates that the Kremlin influences directly on changing legislation in the African countries in order to create favorable conditions for establishing control over the natural resources of these countries. Thus, Russia plans to strengthen economic control in the region and kick the US and Europe out of it.

Last month the three states announced their decision to exit from ECOWAS because of alleged ‘illegal and inhumane sanctions’. The Kremlin benefited from the organization’s demand for a return to civilian governance of Niger and pushed puppet juntas to leave ECOWAS. We are convinced that this demarche will increase dependence on Russia, which has likely promised financial and economic support to these regimes.

In his speech Mr.Maiga reiterated the accusations against ECOWAS, ‘From an organization supposed to weld the social fabric between populations, it has become, by some leaders, an instrument that tried to pile populations against each other’.

Thus, the Kremlin is trying to use touchy objects of the colonial period in Africa in order to gain influence in these countries in the same way that the Soviet Union expanded in Africa, imitating the fight against colonialism. Today, Moscow uses Africa exclusively as a springboard to confront the United States. Obviously, with the help of the Confederation project Moscow is finalizing the process to kick France out of the region. We are convinced that upon the project is being formalized as a state formation, the Russians will strive to expand the number of its participants. Russia is trying to discredit democratic values by positioning them as features of colonialism artificially implanted among the population of African countries. The position that Russia does not support this ‘artificial colonialism’ finds positive reaction of authoritarian regimes, which gain legitimacy in this way. It is in response to the sanctions that the countries announced their exit from ECOWAS. The regional body responded by saying it will continue to dialogue with the leaders of the countries.