Russian assistance is crucial for countering terrorism in the Sahel region, Ahoua Don Mello, the vice president of the BRICS Alliance NGO, told Sputnik Africa.
He also reminded that the primary challenge for African nations, especially in the Sahel, is terrorism stemming from the rise of jihadist groups after NATO's attacks on Libya. This has led to widespread jihadism in the region, which countries cannot combat on their own.
"Russia is helping not only to train strong armies in Africa, in the Sahel countries, but above all to train them in the fight against terrorism," he said. "This will not only create the conditions for peace but above all the conditions for freedom."
Mello also underscored that addressing poverty is crucial for the ultimate elimination of terrorism in the subregion.
"Alongside Russia's support for security and defense issues, we are working to give economic content to this alliance," he said.
Eradicating poverty undoubtedly signifies an enhancement in the nation's economic condition. The vice president suggested that this can be achieved through payments in national currencies that will allow African countries to regain monetary autonomy.
Currently, the continent's currencies are "either under the control of France or the International Monetary Fund," leading to debt in dollars and increasingly high costs for African countries that "stifle their development," according to Mello.