Burkina Faso military leader Ibrahim Traoré has assured US diplomats he will not recruit Russian mercenaries fight Islamist militants in the country, according to a senior US official who has just returned from West Africa.”He was unequivocal in saying that only Burkinabe will defend their country.
They have no intention of inviting Wagner,” US Under Secretary for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland said.
Western nations have condemned neighbouring Mali for deploying Russian mercenaries to battle jihadist groups in the country.
They accuse Russia of providing material support in the deployment of mercenaries from the Wagner group, although Kremlin denies any government links with the shadowy private military company.