![Burkina Faso’s Interim President, Ibrahim Traore, said, 'Our army fights alone,' in response to a question during a televised interview about whether Wagner Group mercenaries are operating in the country [File: Anadolu Agency]](https://www.theheritagetimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4f336a79-2d76-4228-b9fb-777c72ee589d-e1693550470920.jpg)
By Oyintari Ben
The Interim President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Traore, spoke with a Russian team on Thursday during a meeting that touched on potential military cooperation, according to a statement from the Burkinabe administration.
It was stated that the visit, overseen by Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the deputy minister of defence of Russia, was a follow-up to discussions between Traore and Putin during the Russia-Africa summit in St. Petersburg in July.
Since it kicked out French forces in February, the junta-led West African nation’s contacts with Moscow have come under the spotlight, fueling suspicion that it will strengthen its security ties with Moscow like its neighbour Mali, where Russian Wagner mercenaries are active.
The conference focused on “areas of cooperation (which) primarily concern the military domain, including the training of Burkinabe officer cadets and officers at all levels, including pilots in Russia,” according to a statement.
It was not specified whether Russian military trainers would be dispatched to Burkina Faso.
In light of the passing of mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, who established a network of interests across numerous African nations and beyond through the Wagner Group, the visit might indicate that Moscow is attempting to strengthen its influence in Africa.
