The United States has warned that Madagascar’s deepening military cooperation with Russia could repeat the failures seen in West Africa’s Sahel. Lt. Gen. John Brennan, deputy commander of US Africa Command, said Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger turned away from Western partners to seek Russian help against jihadists, yet attacks have persisted. He cautioned against extending that “Sahel model” to Madagascar and neighboring Mozambique, highlighting the strategic importance of the Mozambique Channel to international maritime trade. Russia has supplied Madagascar with weapons and military instructors since the military took over the country in 2025. President Michaël Randrianirina has pursued closer ties with Moscow since then.