New York Times: “High-ranking French military officials dismiss possibility of turning to pro-Russia”
In Burkina Faso, West Africa, where the military has seized power in a coup, a movement has arisen between the government and people dissatisfied with France’s failure to end militant violence to seek help from Russia, the New York Times reports. It was reported on the 25th (local time).
Burkina Faso’s military, led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiva, was broadcast live on state TV on the 24th, saying that it had ousted President Roche Cabore and took over power, disbanding the current government and the National Assembly and returning to constitutional order after a one-year transition period. said he would
One day after the coup, in a protest in support of the coup held in the main square of the capital Ouagadougou this morning, a participant held a sign that read ‘No France, Yes Russia’ and demanded cooperation with Russia.
Civil engineer Bertrand Yoda, who took part in the protest, said, “We want a partnership with Russia,” and expressed his gratitude to the new military regime and shouted “Long live Russia.”
Protesters seem particularly impressed by Russia’s intervention in the Central African Republic to protect the president, Russian companies to develop diamond mines, and Russian mercenaries to repel Islamic attacks.
According to the New York Times, this courtship for Russia is yet another indication of how Islamic violence in the sub-Saharan region is undermining long-standing alliances and undermining the weak pro-Western democratic order.
Andrew Levovich, a policy researcher at the European Commission on Foreign Relations, a research institute, said, “The difficulties faced by Europe and especially France in controlling Islamic militants in the Sahel region provide Russia with opportunities to expand security cooperation in the region, especially in Mali. there,” he said.
It is unknown whether there are currently Russian troops in Burkina Faso, or whether Lieutenant Colonel Damiva, who led the coup, wants Russian troops.
However, Russia’s intervention in Africa is mainly concentrated in the Central African Republic, which is a resource-rich country and the influence of Western countries is declining, and it is known that it is also intervening to some extent in Mozambique, Libya, and Sudan.
It is unknown whether the courtship for Russia revealed in the protests in support of the coup d’état will lead to an actual military move, but public opinion supporting Russia’s intervention has increased on social media in recent weeks.
Analysts said the Burkina Faso coup would hit France, which had sent thousands of troops to help stabilize the Sahel, but a high-ranking French military official dismissed the possibility that Burkina Faso would suddenly turn to Russia.
The official, who requested anonymity, said: “The fact that Lieutenant Colonel Damiva was trained in Paris, not Moscow, means that France can find a way to continue the decades-long cooperation with the Burkina Faso military. We will take active measures to ensure that there is no void that can be created,” he said.
/yunhap news
