Lavrov kicks off diplomatic tour across African continent
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Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, that have experienced coups leading to military juntas that favor Russian security assistance over Western military ties.
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In this photo released by Russian Foreign Ministry Press Service, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and Guinea's foreign minister Morissanda Kouyate pose for a photo near a portrait of Guinea's President Mamadi Doumbouya during their meeting in Conakry, Guinea, Monday, June 3, 2024 (AP)
Politico reported on Tuesday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov kicked off his diplomatic tour across the African continent with the aim of promoting Russian-African relations.
On Monday, the diplomat arrived in the first country on his tour, Guinea, where he met with Guinea's Foreign Minister Morissanda Kouyaté to discuss mutual cooperation, although specific details were not provided.
Following Guinea, Lavrov is scheduled to meet President Denis Sassou Nguesso in Oyo, Republic of Congo, with further stops on his itinerary yet to be disclosed.
Guinea has been under military rule since Col. Mamadi Doumbouya's coup in 2021, which he justified as a measure to prevent chaos and address the previous government's failures.
Doumbouya has resisted Western intervention in African political affairs, arguing that Africans are weary of external interference.
This sentiment resonates in several West African nations like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, which have experienced coups leading to military juntas that favor Russian security assistance over Western military ties.
Read more: Russia's Rosatom seeking to acquire French uranium assets in Niger
Lavrov's African diplomatic efforts included visits to Mali, where he pledged military support and recently agreed to launch the construction of West Africa's largest solar power plant.
It also includes South Africa, a key neutral player in the Ukraine conflict and a member of the BRICS bloc.
His outreach extended to Kenya and North Africa, regions where Russia seeks to capitalize on declining Western influence.
In Burkina Faso, the military junta ousted French forces and sought Russian security aid. Likewise, in Niger, Russian military trainers arrived shortly after the junta ordered US troops to leave.
Is Senegal on the path of cutting ties with the West?
On a related note, Senegal has recently been on the spotlight due to the prospect of ousting french troops stationned in the country.
During a talk he held for university students in late May, recently appointed Senegalese Prime Minister, Ousmane Sonko, has put into question the French military presence in the country.
Sonko said that "cooperation must take into account Senegal's sovereignty in both monetary and security fields."
"We must ask ourselves the reasons why the French army still has many military bases in our country and their impact on our sovereignty and our strategic autonomy," he said.
On Sunday, Russia's Ambassador to Senegal Dmitry Kurakov told Sputnik that Russian companies are interested in building ports in Sudan and have also submitted proposals to the Senegalese authorities.
However, the firms haven't landed "any concrete projects there yet," the diplomat continued, adding that no contract was signed so far.
"Perhaps when the mining of some minerals starts, such an opportunity will be in demand," Kurakov said.
Read more: Sahel nations form regional alliance, US begin to withdraw from Niger
