Russia to sell satellites to Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger

They are for TV and radio, border security and responding to natural disasters, a minister says.

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The three West African countries, run by military juntas, have been struggling to defeat Islamist insurgencies for years and have turned to Russia for military support.

Russia denies that its mercenaries have committed atrocities against civilians and that it is pushing propaganda and misinformation in West Africa's Sahel region.

Ministers from the three countries met officials from Russia’s aerospace agency Roscosmos in Mali’s capital, Bamako, on Monday, to discuss the agreement.

The technology will boost border surveillance and national security in all three countries, says Mali’s Finance Minister, Alousséni Sanou, adding that it would enable secure communications.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2k0p6w034o

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