rki.news | Sources Anadolu
MOSCOW, Aug. 17: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday accused Ukraine of “state terrorism,” alleging that Ukrainian military personnel were involved in attacks by illegal armed groups against countries in Africa’s Sahel region.
Speaking after talks with Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, Lavrov said Moscow was concerned by reports that Ukrainian servicemen, rather than individual mercenaries, were participating in operations by armed groups against Sahel countries.
“We are no longer talking about isolated individual terrorist attacks, but about state terrorism against the states of the Sahel,” he said.
Lavrov also accused France of supporting, financing and training armed groups in the region to maintain its former colonial influence.
He said Russia’s Africa Corps was operating legally at the request of African governments and performing tasks assigned by them, including countering terrorist attacks.
Lavrov said Moscow supported stronger security cooperation between the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Alliance of Sahel States, comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
He added that Russia plans to sign a cooperation memorandum with ECOWAS covering security issues and welcomed Ghanaian efforts to improve relations between the two regional blocs.