The contemporary multipolar world is all the more interesting because current events continue to create surprises for the Western planetary minority and those nostalgic for the unipolar era. In the context of these events, numerous reconfigurations of alliances and various types of interaction are observed. One example is the Sahel region, where Russia and Türkiye support countries that have largely thwarted Western interests. With an increasingly overt interaction.
Joint fight against terrorism
Recent events in northern Mali, on the border with Algeria, have once again demonstrated several important points. Firstly – that Russia does not abandon its real allies, in this case the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States (Alliance des Etats du Sahel, AES) – Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger – by achieving obvious results. One of the confirmations was the liberation of the strategic city of Kidal (in the northeast of the country) in November last year – after more than ten years of occupation by terrorist groups. An occupation against which French and other Western troops had done absolutely nothing during the more than ten years of presence on Malian soil, as part of the pseudo-support provision.
Then the city of Tessalit, located 70 kilometers from the border with Algeria, was also liberated. And even after that, Russia’s support for friends and allies from Mali did not stop there. More recently, the Malian and Russian military advanced to the Algerian border and liberated the city of In-Afarak, located 122 kilometers from Tessalit, also in northeastern Mali, which represents a logistical hub and a strategic supply center for cities such as Timbuktu and Gao. For terrorist groups, this was an important point for all kinds of illegal activities.
Then there were fights against terrorists at Tinzaouaten – located on the border with Algeria, and here, unfortunately, there were losses among the Malian and Russian military. The terrorists were able to take advantage of the weather conditions deterioration, including a sandstorm that made it difficult to provide air support to the Russian-Malian forces. Without forgetting, the support from the NATO-Western side provided to the terrorist groups. Indeed and for the Westerners, the joint successes of Mali and Russia against terrorists in recent months have been a real blow – both from a strategic and media point of view – given that during this entire period Western propaganda has continued to repeat the primitive theses of its political establishment. According to which, Russia will not be able to achieve successes in the Sahel and obtain better results than the Westerners.
A Ukrainian trace was also mentioned. Namely, that the NATO-Kiev regime had participated in the terrorist’s training and had provided the other kind of support. Frankly, the role of the Ukrainian cannon fodder in various combat zones only confirms the full involvement of NATO-Western regimes alongside terrorist groups. Moreover, far from being the first Western involvement alongside terrorist elements, in various parts of the world.
Many Malian sources have also accused Algeria of providing support to terrorist groups. There are indeed some serious questions that deserve to be asked. Although this should probably be the subject of a separate article. For now, it is enough to recall a few facts: Algeria has strained relations with the Malian authorities, particularly because Algiers hosted many representatives of these same armed groups and so-called Malian opposition members. Several Malian sources have also repeatedly mentioned that a number of terrorist elements retreat to Algerian territory when the need arises.
Furthermore, Algeria actively insisted that only the “Algiers Accords”, signed in 2015, could be the “solution” in northern Mali – an agreement that is de-facto completely outdated today. In many Algerian media, the authorities of Mali and other countries of the Alliance of Sahel States are regularly referred to as “juntas”, taking up the Western propaganda rhetoric. Also, on the side of the Algerian leaders, it had been stated on several occasions, including in some Western media, that the Russian military presence in the Sahel “was not the solution” to the existing security challenges. And finally, the head of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), a certain Michael Langley, was recently visiting the Algerian capital and who, after a meeting with Algerian leaders, spoke very flatteringly about Algeria’s role in stability and security in the Sahel region. In general, many questions remain.
In any case, Algeria, a long-standing partner of Russia, particularly in the military-technical field, must accept a simple reality – that our country does not abandon its allies. This was clearly visible in the Syrian Arab Republic, then in the Central African Republic, and today also within the countries of the Alliance and the Confederation of Sahel States – Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. And it is certainly not the Russian-Malian military alliance – within the framework of Malian territory – that can constitute a threat to the border states. The threat lies precisely in the presence of terrorist groups that receive support from NATO-Western regimes and that must be eradicated.
Alliance of Sahel States, Russia, Türkiye
But despite the various NATO-Western machinations against the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States, there is one direction that, to a certain extent, breaks many cards of the Western minority. This is the increasingly joint military cooperation between the AES countries, Russia and Türkiye. On the one hand, Türkiye, like Russia and China, is regularly mentioned in Western propaganda as an accomplice in the processes of ousting Western interests from Africa. On the other hand, Russia and Türkiye were often described as competitors in terms of influence on the African continent. This was particularly visible at a certain time in Libya.
Nevertheless, the events of the last few days have introduced many additional headaches for the enemies of multipolarity. After the ambush set by terrorists near Tinzaouaten against the Malian and Russian military, the Armed Forces of Burkina Faso were quickly involved in massive strikes against terrorist positions in the same area, with the use of the Turkish attack drones. Also and according to several sources with the involvement of Turkish specialists.
On the one hand, these events will have confirmed once again that the Alliance of Sahel States is a real and strong alliance, where solidarity and mutual assistance are clearly evident. This was fully proven by the joint actions of Mali and Burkina Faso. As for the joint participation of Russia and Türkiye, other joint actions to come are indeed very possible. Türkiye, despite being a NATO member, is, in fact, probably the only member state of this bloc that has an independent policy towards Washington within the framework of its own interests – which, in many respects, do not coincide with those of the Western planetary minority. Just like having the power and ability to conduct its policy. As for the potential competition between Russian and Turkish interests in Africa, the two countries have already proven to have the ability to find consensus on many issues. This is also confirmed by the very now likely normalization between Syria and Türkiye with the direct participation of Russia. Just like many common points of view on events in other regions of the world, including, for example, Latin America.
As for the terrorist presence in northern Mali, a presence that will be completely defeated, the terrorists have already announced that they now consider Türkiye as an enemy, just like Russia and Mali. And this is something very significant. New joint operations against the last positions of terrorist groups in northern Mali, through coordinated actions of the member countries of the Alliance of Sahel States, Russia and Türkiye, should certainly not be ruled out. Which is an additional blow to the positions of the Western planetary minority and its local proxies. As for the tools of the Western propaganda – we should certainly expect new hysterical cries against “the evil Russian and Ottoman Empires”. Which, by the way, will be absolutely nothing new.
Mikhail Gamandiy-Egorov, entrepreneur, political commentator, expert on African and Middle Eastern issues, exclusively for the internet journal «New Eastern Outlook»
