African state signs defense deal with Russia
The government of Sao Tome and Principe has signed a military cooperation agreement with Russia, according to a document published on Moscow’s legal information website on Sunday.
The deal, which aims to strengthen peace and international stability, was reached in St. Petersburg on April 24 and came into effect on May 5, according to the file.
During the long-term partnership, Moscow and the African island state will exchange their experience in areas including joint military training, armed forces recruitment, and troop engineering support.
The parties have also agreed to share information and expertise in order to fight regional and global terrorism.
The signing comes after the Russian government approved the draft of a security cooperation pact with Sao Tome and Principe in November.
In an interview with RT on the sidelines of the 12th International Meeting of High Representatives for Security Issues, where the deal was concluded, Jorge Amado, the African island nation’s defense minister, applauded Moscow’s efforts in the global fight against extremist violence.
He said Sao Tome and Principe, a small nation of approximately 223,000 people, believes that collaborating with Russia and other friendly nations can help overcome current global security challenges.
Moscow has committed to strengthening ties in several sectors, including defense, with African nations.
Military governments in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have all hailed Moscow as a reliable security partner after cutting defense ties with France. All three former French colonies have agreed to team up with Russia to combat jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel region, which they accuse the West of failing to address.
In Niger, the new leadership, which took power following a coup last July, has also revoked a decade-old military agreement with the US and declared American troops unwelcome in the country.
Last week, the Pentagon confirmed that Russian forces, who are in Niamey to train the landlocked state’s soldiers, have entered a base where American troops are stationed.
