Russia is quietly turning Guinea into a key logistics hub for arms deliveries to Mali, a strategy that allows it to bypass international scrutiny. According to RFI’s investigation, at least three Russian convoys have landed at Conakry’s port this year, then traveled nearly 1,000 km overland to Mali, where they equip the Malian army or Russia’s new Africa Corps. Satellite imagery and eyewitness accounts confirm that sanctioned Russian cargo ships like the Baltic Leader and Patria are part of this shadow operation. Guinea’s weak surveillance makes it an ideal gateway for covert arms movements. This reinforces Mali’s pivot away from France and toward Moscow amid growing Russian influence in the Sahel through military alliances and discreet arms shipments.
RFI
