Russia in satellite deal with West African military governments

AFPThe satellites are said to be for TV and radio, surveillance and tracking natural disasters

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have announced a deal with Russia which will see them acquire telecoms and surveillance satellites.

The three West African countries, run by military juntas, have been struggling to defeat Islamist insurgencies for years and have turned to Russia for military support.

Russia denies that its mercenaries have committed atrocities against civilians and that it is pushing propaganda and misinformation 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 discuss the agreement.

The technology will boost border surveillance and national security in all three countries, says Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou, adding that it would enable secure communications.

Islamist insurgents roam across the three countries' long, porous borders in the vast semi-arid Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.

Sanou also said the satellites would help them to monitor and respond to floods, droughts, fires and other emergencies.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso last year formed the Alliance of Sahel States – it was originally to boost military co-operation, 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 – far from the areas where the jihadists normally launch their assaults.

Ministers say the telecoms satellite will facilitate the broadcast of television and radio signals across their three countries.

It is also expected to provide internet and telephone services in inaccessible and underdeveloped areas within the Sahel.

Russia has been seeking to expand its footprint in Africa, especially in the Sahel, since relations between these countries and their Western allies broke down.

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