Business Insider Africa published on 22 January 2026 an article titled "Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger Turn to Russia to Build the Sahel's First Shared Telecom Satellite" by Solomon Ekanem.
Russia is in discussion with the governments of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger concerning joint satellite projects, including telecommunications and remote sensing satellites to expand broadband access, secure encrypted communications, and improve surveillance of under-serviced areas. This is a further indication of a shift by these countries away from the West.
