The Sahel's Realignment: Three Former French Colonies Break With Paris for Moscow

Burkina Faso's June 26 diplomatic rupture with France completes a regional pivot. The country now joins Mali and Niger—all governed by military juntas—in severing ties with their former colonial ruler and turning toward Russian security contractors. This three-nation bloc, the Alliance des États du Sahel, dismantles a French-dominated order spanning six decades. France loses diplomatic infrastructure and military footing across the region. The shift reflects junta governments' mobilization of anti-colonial sentiment and public anger over French monetary and commercial influence, signaling deeper strategic realignment in West Africa.