France and Ukraine using ‘terror’ tactics to destabilize Africa – Lavrov
France and Ukraine are supporting terrorist groups and militant networks in Africa, including factions of Islamic State, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said.
Lavrov made the remarks in response to a question about Western interference in the Sahel region during a press conference on Tuesday to summarize Russia’s diplomatic activities in 2025.
The top diplomat criticized France for allegedly attempting in “every way,” including using “terrorist methods,” to block the establishment of stable governments in its former colonies in the Sahel.
“There is clear evidence that such activities are being carried out, including with the involvement of Ukrainian instructors… to harm the Russian Federation and all our friends anywhere in the world,” Lavrov said.
Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, founders of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), have faced deadly jihadist violence for more than a decade, driven by insurgents and allied Islamist groups. The military leaders who overthrew civilian governments, citing widespread insecurity, have repeatedly accused Paris and Kiev of fueling the crisis.
Since 2020, a wave of military coups has reshaped politics across the Sahel region in Africa, toppling civilian governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.
France, once the region’s dominant external power, has steadily lost influence amid rising anti-French sentiment and deep frustration over insecurity, economic stagnation, and foreign interference. The former colonial power was forced to withdraw troops from Mali in 2022, Burkina Faso in 2023, Niger later that year, and Chad in early 2025.
About 4,500 soldiers had been deployed under Operation Barkhane, France’s largest overseas mission, across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Chad – a campaign that the military governments in Bamako, Niamey, and Ouagadougou have said only permitted Islamist insurgents to expand their activities.
The three West African states have established the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) and withdrawn from the International Organization of Francophone Nations (OIF) operating in Francophone countries, many of them former French colonies. The AES has forged new alliances, including with Russia, which its leaders hail as a more reliable economic and security partner.
The three former French colonies officially left ECOWAS last year after military takeovers strained ties with the bloc. They accused the regional body of failing to help them fight terrorism and posing a threat to their sovereignty by serving as a tool for foreign powers, particularly France.
On Tuesday, Lavrov highlighted Moscow’s growing ties with the AES and acknowledged “some gaps” in the cooperation between the “nationally oriented leaders” and their regional partners. Lavrov also said efforts are ongoing to resolve “some gaps” in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger’s relations with the West African regional bloc ECOWAS.
“Efforts are currently underway to restore normal cooperation and relations… between the Alliance of Sahel States and ECOWAS, as well as… the African Union. We welcome this and are ready to facilitate it in every possible way,” he stated.
Moscow, which has made counterterrorism a central focus of its security cooperation with African states, has consistently condemned foreign interference in the Sahel, including what it calls a French and Ukrainian “criminal alliance” with extremist groups in the region.
Last month, Lavrov met with ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa Partnership Forum in Egypt, where they discussed the need for continued dialogue between ECOWAS and the AES to address shared threats, including terrorism.
