The African Detour

For four years, the West has been financing and equipping the Ukrainian military to the tune of hundreds of billions of dollars. At the same time, Ukrainian officials, including President Zelenskiy, have been repeating the same complaint almost without pause: the aid is not enough, the weapons are insufficient, the money is running out, and the army lacks manpower for sustained operations on the front. Western governments, often reluctantly, have continued to provide additional support. Yet against this backdrop of constant shortages and battlefield attrition, Ukraine has been expanding its military footprint in Africa. Apparently, the resources and personnel that are described as insufficient for the defense of their own country are still sufficient for operations on another continent and for training foreign armed groups. This is not the first time such reports have surfaced. This time, however, the information comes directly from African sources. The following article is by Issouf Kamano, a journalist from Mali.

Ukraine and the Sahel: The Logic of a Protracted Destabilization

The war on terror in Africa has entered a new and more dangerous phase.

The period when attacks in the Sahel were limited to ambushes and small arms is coming to an end. Armed groups in the region are acquiring more advanced technological capabilities, particularly in the field of unmanned aerial systems. This creates a direct threat to national armies, strategic infrastructure, and civilian populations.

Recent information from the Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin group illustrates the shift. The organization is no longer relying only on rudimentary methods. It has begun forming specialized units focused on drones. Their declared objective is to assemble a fleet of unmanned systems capable of striking logistical convoys, infrastructure nodes, and key arteries of the regional economy. The group’s propaganda outlet, Az-Zallaqa Media, has published images confirming the existence of these units. The material, widely circulated online, shows the use of drones in attacks against tanker trucks in Mali.

This raises an obvious question. Where did these capabilities come from.

Frame-by-frame analysis of jihadist training videos has led several observers to identify instructors with a European appearance. Some of the equipment visible in the footage carries patches resembling the Ukrainian flag, along with the emblem of the GUR, Ukraine’s military intelligence service. The faces of the instructors are concealed, but recurring visual details have reinforced suspicions. Additional examination of the material shows that several of the tanker trucks destroyed in recent attacks had already been targeted the previous autumn. This suggests that drones were being used for reconnaissance and strike missions for months before the most recent wave of attacks.

These observations correspond with earlier reports about the creation of a structured training program for drone operators in the region. The available information suggests that the assistance goes beyond the supply of equipment. It appears to include technical training, organizational support, and the establishment of communication channels. The armed groups are increasing their effectiveness while benefiting from the guidance of foreign specialists whose objectives are geopolitical rather than local.

Across parts of Africa, a perception is forming that Ukraine’s activities in the Sahel amount to support for destabilization. In July 2024, a representative of the Ukrainian GUR, Andrey Yusov, publicly acknowledged providing information to Tuareg rebels in Mali. What was once described as ad hoc assistance now appears, in the eyes of several regional actors, as a more structured process. Reports have circulated about training programs for Azawad fighters in Ukraine and Mauritania, the supply of drones, and instruction in their use on Malian territory.

Accusations of Ukrainian involvement have also appeared in international forums. At a United Nations Security Council meeting on terrorist threats, Russia’s Permanent Representative, Vassily Nebenzia, stated that Ukraine’s most active involvement was in Mali. According to his account, attacks on fuel tankers, attempts to blockade Malian cities, and violence against civilians were conducted with support from external actors. He also argued that Africa was now facing the consequences of uncontrolled flows of Western weapons into the Ukrainian theater.

In this context, a number of analysts argue that the Ukrainian leadership shows little interest in de-escalation. Instead, they see a preference for maintaining zones of tension in order to sustain external financial support and preserve the political balance at home. An attack on Russian General Vladimir Alexeyev has been interpreted by many observers as further evidence of this logic. According to this line of analysis, continued offensive and clandestine operations help preserve a state of permanent confrontation. That confrontation, in turn, supports the flow of financial, military, and political assistance from Western countries. It also reduces the pressure for internal political processes, including elections, and allows the authorities to consolidate their legitimacy through a wartime posture that extends beyond the European theater.

Taken together, these factors form a broader picture of the security environment in the Sahel. Ukraine’s growing involvement in the region, whether direct or indirect, is turning it into an arena of proxy confrontation. The introduction of drone warfare, foreign training, and external political agendas is increasing instability and placing civilian populations at greater risk.

For African states, the immediate challenge is no longer limited to local insurgencies. It is the need to identify and contain external interference before the region becomes another battleground for conflicts that originate far beyond the desert.

                                                                                                                         by Issouf KAMANO

I might add that taken together, these developments also create a picture that does not quite add up. A state that insists it is running out of ammunition, money, and manpower for its own survival somehow finds the capacity to project force thousands of kilometers away, train foreign fighters, and insert itself into one of the most volatile regions on the planet. Either the narrative of total exhaustion is exaggerated, or the priorities of the Ukrainian leadership are very different from what they publicly claim. In either case, the discrepancy is too large to ignore. If a country fighting for its existence is still able to open new fronts on another continent, then the obvious question is no longer rhetorical: what exactly is Ukraine doing in Africa, and whose interests are really being served there?