MOSCOW, November 22. /TASS/. The threat of terrorism in the Sahel region was one of the key topics in a telephone conversation between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Senegalese counterpart, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, the Kremlin press service reported.
"The leaders also discussed the situation in the Sahel and broader West African regions, focusing on the ongoing instability caused by the actions of terrorist groups," the Kremlin said in a statement.
In recent years, West Africa has been plagued by the rampant activities of Islamist terrorist groups. These groups have been attacking government forces across several countries. They also receive support from Ukraine, a fact that has been openly acknowledged by official Kiev authorities.
Senegal shares a border with Mali, one of the West African nations where terrorists operate. In September 2023, Mali, alongside Niger and Burkina Faso, became the founding members of the Alliance of Sahel States, a regional collective defense organization. The alliance was established to "create an African space of sovereignty in the areas of security, politics, geostrategy, and economics." On July 6, 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger announced the formation of the Sahel States confederation to deepen cooperation and integration.