Africa’s stake in international conflicts, specifically, the Russia-Ukraine war, has been highlighted yet again, this time with implications that Africa is serving as a proxy.
- Africa is increasingly seen as a proxy zone in international conflicts, particularly influenced by the Russia-Ukraine war.
- BRICS VP Ahoua Don Mello noted Ukraine’s attempts to counter Russian presence in West Africa by training armed militias.
- Modern weaponry and techniques are reported to be supplied and taught by Ukrainian components to African militias.
- Ukraine’s increased presence in Africa parallels Russia’s growing influence in the Sahel, supporting anti-West attitudes.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Ahoua Don Mello, the vice president of the BRICS alliance, in an interview, revealed that Ukraine is looking to attack Russia in West Africa.
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His assertion hinges on the idea that Ukraine, which has been in a violent conflict with Russia since 2022, has established “a kind of second front” in the West African region where Russia is helping combat insecurity.
The BRICS vice president stated that the equipment used by armed groups on the continent is “becoming increasingly sophisticated,” and “there are people training them.”
During his interview with Sputnik, he explained that armed militias in Africa now employ the use of “drones, explosives, and modern weapons,” all of which need training to be operated.
Ukraine’s military training in Africa, while contentious, has not been this disputable, given that the country, in June, stepped up its engagement in West Africa with an offer to provide military training to Mauritanian forces, in a move widely seen as a response to Russia’s expanding influence across the Sahel region.
This offer came amid heightened tensions between Mauritania and neighbouring Mali, where Russian-backed forces were reportedly supporting the Malian government against separatist Tuareg rebels.
However, Ahoua Don Mello painted a more complex picture of what is allegedly happening in the West African region.
“It has been established that among those training these rebels and terrorists are individuals of Ukrainian origin who come specifically to train them,” he stated.
“Thus, there is a direct connection between what is happening in Ukraine and what is occurring in West Africa,” he added.
As he continued to relay his thoughts, he revealed that Ukraine’s offensive in Africa is a direct result of Russia’s presence in the fully anti-West states of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso.
“A kind of second front is being opened in West Africa, because Russia is present there, and Ukraine seeks to strike at Russia, wherever Russia has a presence, particularly in West Africa,” he stated.
“Russia is there to support the countries of the Alliance of the Sahel States, which are actively fighting terrorism,” Ahoua Don Mello further explained.
Russia, in the last two years, has been on an intense campaign to increase its foothold in Africa, as evidenced by military and nuclear cooperation with several countries on the continent.
The recent anti-West sentiment currently sweeping the West African region presented the perfect opportunity for Russia to pitch its tent, as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso continue to expel all traces of colonial influence within their borders.
Ukraine’s issues in Africa
This is hardly the first debacle between Africa and Ukraine, concerning the conflict in Eastern European region.
In August 2024, Xavier Messe a Tiati, Director General of the Cameroon News Agency, claimed that French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were working together to destabilize the AES group, which includes Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
These charges, albeit unproven, were consistent with anti-Western themes gaining hold in various Sahelian cities.
Adding to regional concerns, the Nigerian federal government released a news statement in November 2022 highlighting the increasing movement of weaponry and ammunition from the Russia-Ukraine conflict into the Lake Chad Basin.
In July 2024, Andriy Yusov, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Defense Intelligence (GUR), made a controversial statement that immediately sparked a rift between Ukraine and Mali.
His remarks, which many interpreted as an admission of Kyiv’s indirect support to rebels opposing Malian and Russian forces, sparked outrage in Mali’s transitional government.
“The rebels received all the necessary information they needed, and not just the information, which allowed them to conduct a successful military operation against Russian perpetrators of war crimes,” Yusov said.
“We certainly won’t go into details now, you will see more of this in the future.”
The statement sought to link Ukraine to an attack that killed at least 84 Russian Wagner mercenaries and 47 Malian soldiers.
Mali thus severed diplomatic ties with Ukraine and joined Niger, a neighbor.
