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Three junta-led West African states launched a joint television channel to offer programming in line with their push to de-emphasize Western viewpoints. Tafouk TV, owned by Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, started broadcasting in September, has been praised by Russia’s ambassador in Bamako, and signed a cooperation agreement with the parent company of Moscow’s broadcaster RT to jointly cover events, according to RFI. The three countries, which formed the Alliance of Sahel States in 2023, have simultaneously severed ties with France while strengthening engagements with Russia, particularly defense partnerships against jihadist insurgencies thriving in the semi-arid region. Moscow is also expanding beyond arms and intelligence support; Mali will be one of eight African countries where Moscow plans to build new culture and education centers known as ‘Russia Houses’ in the coming years.
document fetched 2026-10-06 02:56 · canonical https://semafor.com/article/10/05/2026/sahel-states-launch-russia-backed-tv-station