Ivory Coast Wishes To Step Up Military Cooperation With Russia - Envoy

Sumaira FH Published September 09, 2020 | 10:33 PM

Ivory Coast wants more active military cooperation with Russia amid instability in Mali and other countries in West Africa, Roger Gnango, Ivory Coast ambassador in Russia, has told Sputnik

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 09th September, 2020) Ivory Coast wants more active military cooperation with Russia amid instability in Mali and other countries in West Africa, Roger Gnango, Ivory Coast ambassador in Russia, has told Sputnik.

"There is a security problem, especially in our sub-region - there are difficulties in Niger, there are difficulties in Mali, there are difficulties in Burkina Faso and even in the Ivory Coast. So it's important in the framework of military cooperation between these African states, and Ivory Coast in particular, that this cooperation is activated and re-activated.

It's very important and we know that Russia is a big military power and having active military cooperation with Russia would be a blessed bread," the diplomat said.

West Africa and the Sahel have faced numerous political turmoil and security challenges, the latest example of which is the August 18 military coup in Mali, during which the rebels kidnapped several high-placed officials, including President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, who later dissolved both the government and parliament.