Russia’s Africa Corps shields Sahel regimes as Western partners pull back
Russia’s Africa Corps, now under Moscow’s defense ministry, has shifted toward protecting allied Sahel governments in Niger (and likely Mali and Burkina Faso), aiding loyalist forces after mutinies and strengthening Moscow’s political clout in the region. Analysts say these interventions bolster regime survival but do not solve the jihadist insurgency, and Ukraine’s war limits Russia’s ability to expand further in Africa.