Russia: The destabilization of the Sahel was influenced by a reckless Western adventure in Libya

The representative of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, responded to the criticism of Western officials, who he said were “talking negatively about strengthening military cooperation between Moscow and Bamako,” recalling the impact of Mali and the Sahel region by their military intervention in Libya.

The website of the Permanent Mission of Russia to the United Nations quoted the speech of its President, Vassily Nebenzia, during a briefing session at the UN Security Council on the State of Mali held last week. The Russian diplomat referred what was happening in the region to 2011, saying, “It is no secret to anyone that the destabilization of the Sahel region, especially Mali, was affected by a reckless Western adventure in Libya.” He also considered that the long Western presence in this part of Africa did not produce tangible results. In this regard, Vasily Nebenzia called on his “colleagues in the Security Council to admit their mistakes and abandon the neo-colonial narrative.”

Russia pledges to pursue normalization in Mali
He defended the choice of Malians and other countries in the region as partners of their choice, adding, “Russia will continue to pursue normalization in Mali through our efforts in the Security Council,” pledging that Moscow will continue to provide support to Bamako as it is considering providing additional food and energy aid to Mali.

France, the United States, and other European countries accuse Russia of committing humanitarian crimes in Mali, carried out by the “Wagner” military group, which has become deployed in several sensitive locations in the country, with the transitional authorities strengthening their control over power by signing military and security agreements under which Moscow provided the Malian party with equipment. military.

AFRICOM Commander Michael Langley said, on the sidelines of the Africa Chiefs of Defense Conference held in Rome in March, that Russian “Wagner” activities in Libya, Mali and the Central African Republic are destabilizing, through brutal tactics and human rights violations. Langley stated that the United States’ response to the hacking of the Russian Wagner Group lies in supporting African countries through a comprehensive approach. The AFRICOM Commander continued that they believe that collectively through all these operations, investments and activities, the long-term goals of these countries can be achieved.

related