Tom Collins
Sat, February 18, 2023
A banner of Vladimir Putin is seen during a protest to support President Ibrahim Traoré and to demand the departure of France's ambassador and military forces, in Burkina Faso, Jan 2023 - Olympia de Maismont/Getty
Suddenly woken from her sleep, Nafissatou Ouedraogo could hear gunfire and screams. Living in northern Burkina Faso, the epicentre of a brutal Islamic uprising, she instinctively knew that terrorists would soon be at her door.
Hundreds of jihadist militants swarmed into the town of Arbinda on motorbikes that night in 2019, killing dozens, while ransacking shops and houses.
Ms Ouedraogo, who declined to give her real name, had moments to grab a few essential items before fleeing, never to return.
The primary school teacher headed to the west of the town, where she jumped on a lorry with her two children and husband to travel over 300 miles to the town of Dedougou.
“It was very scary,” she told The Telegraph. “Luckily, we managed to escape, but others were not so fortunate”.
Burkina Faso has ordered French troops to leave, just five months after Emmanuel Macron’s forces also made a complete withdrawal from neighbouring Mali - Michele Cattani/Getty
Burkina Faso has struggled since 2015 to contain an Islamist insurgency linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Tens of thousands have been killed and years of French military assistance failed to halt the violence.
As frustration and anti-French sentiment have risen, the West African nation has ordered French troops to leave, just five months after Emmanuel Macron’s forces also made a complete withdrawal from neighbouring Mali.
Just as Mali has instead pivoted to Russia and its feared Wagner mercenary group for military aid, there are now concerns in Europe and the US that Burkina Faso will also turn its back on the West to seek Moscow’s help.
Such a move would be the latest success for the Kremlin in Africa, where it has made a hefty diplomatic push to gain influence and squeeze out its rivals, particularly France.
Using a tool kit including soft power, arms sales and military help, Moscow has focused on a strip of countries running from Mali to Sudan.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, recently used his third African visit in recent months to offer help to states battling armed groups.
Hailing Russia’s alliance with Mali, where 1,400 Wagner Group mercenaries are estimated to be deployed, he said military aid would be offered to others.
“This concerns Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad and the Sahel region generally and even the coastal states on the Gulf of Guinea,” he said.
Three Russian mercenaries, right, in northern Mali. Around 1,400 Wagner Group mercenaries are estimated to be deployed in the country - French Army via AP
In December, Ghana’s president Nana Akufo-Addo said that Burkina Faso had already “reached an agreement” with the Wagner Group, a claim that was neither denied nor confirmed.
Ms Ouedraogo for her part said she would welcome Russia’s help to tackle the militants she fled.
“I would be happy if the Russians come to provide security,” she said.
Wendyam Hervé Lankoandé, associate analyst for West Africa and the Sahel at Control Risks, said Burkina Faso would potentially deepen its diplomatic and security ties with Russia to get weapons to fight military groups.
He said: “In the last few weeks we have seen Burkinabe officials going to Moscow to explore avenues to get military equipment.
“The Russian ambassador to Ivory Coast travelled to Ouagadougou a few weeks ago to talk about opening a Russian embassy in Burkina Faso’s capital city.”
Burkina Faso also granted a gold-mining permit to Russian firm Nordgold in December, although it has denied showing any favouritism.
It is unclear if Burkina Faso will embrace Russia as fully as Mali has done, however.
Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, recently used his third African visit in recent months to offer help to states battling armed groups - Phill Magaoke/AFP/Getty
Burkina Faso’s military junta, led by Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power during a bloodless coup in October, has tried to beef up security using local forces.
It has recruited more than 3,000 soldiers and 1,400 police officers to fight the insurgents, as well as a 50,000-strong popular militia group in the east and north where violence is the worst.
The arrival of Traoré has appeared to give the army a morale boost, although this has not translated into any notable victories. France’s withdrawal, expected later this month, should not lead to a sudden surge of territorial gains by the terrorists as there were only 400 French troops stationed in Ouagadougou, offering mostly air support.
Analysts believe Russian helicopters and drones to boost the country’s ability to fight terrorists will be at the top of any request for help.
The Wagner Group has played a leading role in the Kremlin’s African push and any involvement in Burkina Faso would see it propping up a military junta, as in Mali.
Josep Borrell, European Union foreign policy chief, earlier this month said the private military company had become the “praetorian guard of military dictatorships” in Africa.
Yet United Nations human rights experts have warned that far from bringing stability, the group’s ruthless tactics have created a “climate of terror and complete impunity”.
Last month, the experts said there were “credible reports” that Malian troops accompanied by military personnel believed to be Wagner mercenaries executed several hundred people in Moura, a village in central Mali.
Elsewhere, the group has been accused of abuses, including executions, rapes, torture and enforced disappearances.
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