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Russia will withdraw 100 paramilitary officers from Burkina Faso to assist in the war in Ukraine.
They are part of a group of about 300 soldiers from the Russian private military company “Bear Brigade” that arrived in the West African country in May to support the country’s military junta.
The group said on its Telegram channel that its forces would return home to support Russia’s defense against Ukraine’s recent offensive in the Kursk region.
There are concerns that the withdrawal could embolden Islamist insurgents in Burkina Faso, which recently launched one of its largest attacks in years, killing up to 300 people.
Burkina Faso has been hit by frequent jihadist attacks since 2015, with more than 2 million people displaced, in what aid groups call the world’s “most destitute” country.Most neglected“Crisis.
The military junta led by interim President Ibrahim Traoré, which came to power in a coup in September 2022, pledged to stop the attacks but has struggled even after seeking a new security partnership with Russia.
With nearly half of the country outside government control, jihadist groups have increasingly targeted civilians and military units.
Survivors said up to 300 people were killed in Saturday’s attack in the northern town of Basalojo, for which the al-Qaeda-linked militant group Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility.
They were reportedly both civilians and military personnel, helping to dig trenches to protect the town from jihadist attacks.
Authorities have not yet revealed the death toll, but Communications Minister Rimtalba Jean-Emmanuel Ouedraogo called the attack “barbaric”.
The Bear Brigade is said to be responsible for protecting senior Burkina Faso officials, including Captain Traoré, whose leadership has previously been threatened.
Their arrival came as shooting broke out near the presidential palace in Burkina Faso’s capital, fuelling speculation about growing opposition to the military junta’s leaders, who claimed to have thwarted a coup attempt last year.
Videos circulated on social media and confirmed by the group showed Burkina Faso’s military leader being escorted by men wearing uniforms bearing the Russian flag.
The group said it was protecting the Russian ambassador in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou.
The approximately 100 members of the professional force are leaving the West African country just three months after arriving.
Their sudden resignation and recent Ukraine launches offensive in Russia’s Kursk region.
“When the enemy reaches our Russian territory, all Russian soldiers will forget about internal problems and unite to fight the common enemy,” said Victor Yermolayev, commander of the Bear Brigade. To Le Monde (French).
The group said in a post on its Telegram channel on Tuesday that the unit would return to its base in Russian-occupied Crimea “in response to recent events.”
It is not yet clear how Burkina Faso’s military junta plans to make up for the loss of military support after the partial withdrawal of the “Bear Brigade”.
Burkina Faso, like its neighbors Mali and Niger, is battling various Islamist groups operating in the semi-arid Sahel region south of the Sahara Desert.
The military has seized power in all three countries and formed the Alliance for the Sahel.
They severed ties with former colonial power France and instead befriended Russia, buying weapons and deploying fighters from the mercenary Wagner Group (now known as the Afrika Korps).
However, despite massive recruitment by the self-defense militia Volunteers for the Fatherland, armed groups have stepped up attacks, especially in Burkina Faso.
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