Supporters of Capt. Ibrahim Traore parade wave a Russian flag in the streets of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Oct. 2, 2022. AP.
New Delhi: For six years West African nation of Burkina Faso has been struggling to keep it together against the rising tide of jihadi violence and terrorism from the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. Apparently, it has now roped in the notorious Russian mercenary Wagner Group to help stem this ever-growing threat.
Allegedly, Burkina Faso has traded a gold mine for ensuring Wagner Group’s assistance. Jihadi violence, reportedly, has claimed thousands and displaced nearly 2 million people.
These allegations were levelled by president of neighbouring Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, during his visit to the United States, where he is attending the US-Africa summit.
“To have (Wagner) operating on our northern border is particularly distressing for us in Ghana,” Akufo-Addo said, while talking about increased violence by Islamic State and Al Qaeda-linked groups in West Africa.
He alleged that the mine had been allocated to the Wagner Group as payment for deployment of the latter’s forces to counter jihadi violence.
Meanwhile, according to the US State Department, “Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken met today with Ghanaian President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington, DC.
Also Read: US says its African partners don’t want the Wagner Group in their countries
Secretary Blinken thanked President Akufo-Addo for Ghana’s strong collaboration with the United States on the United Nations Security Council. They also discussed our shared commitment to bolster economic growth and investment, democracy, and security in West Africa.”
Blinked lambasted the infamous Wagner Group at the US-Africa Leader Summit. “Wherever we’ve seen Wagner deploy, countries find themselves weaker, poorer, more insecure, and less independent,” Blinken said in Washington. US’s African partners have rejected the Wagner Group, the Secretary of State added.
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