Russian military planes in the Algerian sky to help Mali in its fight against armed groups, this should hardly surprise according to the researcher Riadh Sidaoui, in view, he said, of the good military cooperation that Algiers maintains with Moscow since its independence in 1962.
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” There are strategic military agreements between Algeria and Russia just as there were between Algeria and the former Soviet Union. 65% of Algeria’s arms imports come from Russia and China.
Barkhane helicopters flying over Malian territory.
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Not just any weapons. Very sophisticated weapons like S400s, very sophisticated Mig submarines. Russia with Putin wants to regain some of its influence in Africa. She set foot in Libya and the Central African Republic and now in Mali. In addition, Algerians do not want a foreign military presence at their borders, especially France.“he explains.
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At the beginning of October 2021, in a context of tensions with France, Algeria announced the ban on the overflight of its territory by French military planes.
“Like an air of revenge”
For Riadh Sidaoui, the cooperation between Algiers and Moscow on several issues, including that of Mali, also has an air of revenge vis-à-vis France and the United States, two countries which support Morocco against Algeria. in the Western Sahara case.
According to the researcher “Morocco is supported by Israel and also by the United States under Donald Trump who recognized Western Sahara as an integral part of Morocco and France which is very close to Morocco’s position. So Algeria strengthens its alliances with other powers like Russia and China.”
A few months ago, the French daily, Le Monde, described as a “dark scenario for Paris”, the rapprochement between Algeria and Russia on the Malian file.
Proof of the good understanding between Algeria and Russia, in 2006, Moscow erased the Algerian debt estimated at nearly 5 billion dollars.
It is therefore difficult for Algeria, in view of all this, not to accompany the Russian ally in the Malian adventure, believe some experts.
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