By John Ikani
Burkina Faso and Russia are set to formalize a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at the establishment of a nuclear power facility in the West African nation.
The significant accord is the culmination of discussions between Burkina Faso’s military leader, Captain Ibrahim Traore, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, which took place in July during the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow.
The MoU is slated to be officially inked between Rosatom, the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, and the Ministry of Energy of Burkina Faso.
The signing ceremony is scheduled to take place on the sidelines of Russian Energy Week 2023, as reported by the state-run AIB news agency.
According to data from the International Energy Atomic Agency (IEA), Burkina Faso faces a critical energy deficit, with only about 20% of its population having access to electricity, representing one of the lowest rates globally.
With strained relationships with many of its traditional Western allies, including its former colonial power, France, Burkina Faso has increasingly turned to Russia for both economic and military support.
