Russia to augment its military instructors in Burkina Faso, according to the foreign minister.
"Russian trainers are operating here, with their numbers set to rise. At the same time, we're educating the military and law enforcement of Burkina Faso in Russia," stated Lavrov in Ouagadougou's capital. "Here, Russian instructors train; their numbers will increase."
Russia plans to equip Burkina Faso with military equipment to improve its defense capabilities, Lavrov added.
On Wednesday, Russia's Foreign Ministry unveiled a photograph of Lavrov in Ouagadougou, noting that he had met with interim President Traoré. Accompanying Lavrov on the trip was Russian Deputy Defense Minister Yevkurov.
Since a military coup in July 2022, Burkina Faso has been under military rule. Its junta, led by Traoré, has focused on enhancing security amidst an ongoing, lethal internal struggle.
In a year, Burkina Faso witnessed a doubling of violence-related deaths, reported the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).
Thus far in 2024, hundreds of civilians have perished in attacks, such as the murder of around 170 in three villages in March and 30 in separate mosque and church attacks in February.
With its increasing rate of violence, Burkina Faso has been tagged the "world's most neglected displacement crisis" for two years in a row by the NRC. This year, 6.3 million people in the nation will require humanitarian aid, the aid agency stated, and over two million are internally displaced already.
For years, US officials have cautioned that both China and Russia were seeking to establish their presence in Africa. In 2019, the previous US Africa Command leader, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, also said that Russia was using mercenaries and arms sales to obtain access to natural resources in Africa.
Cut off from many other nations due to its Ukrainian invasion, Russia seems to be re-establishing bonds in the continent. In early March of this year, Africa Command cautioned Congress that Russia was aggressively trying to expand its presence in Africa, and that a few states were "near the edge" of succumbing to its control.
During his statements this week, Lavrov also expressed gratitude to Burkinabe authorities for their "efficient efforts in addressing problems that allowed us to restore the activities of our embassy in Ouagadougou."
"We're executing a program to revive the functions of Russian diplomatic missions in Africa. Burkina Faso was the first nation to speedily and effectively do this," he said.
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Despite Russia's presence and influence in Burkina Faso increasing, the country continues to face significant challenges, such as a doubling of violence-related deaths in a year and being labeled the "world's most neglected displacement crisis" for two consecutive years.
Amidst these struggles, other global powers like China and Russia have been seeking to establish their presence in Africa, with Russia reportedly using mercenaries and arms sales to gain access to natural resources.
