Iran may supply Mali with weapons, impacting West Africa, Sahel

Malian Defense Minister Col. Sadio Camara visited Iran last week for meetings with Iranian counterpart Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani, which could result in the sending of arms to Mali in North Africa.

Iranian pro-regime Tasnim media said Brig.Gen Ashtiani “expressed the country’s readiness to provide Mali with military equipment and experiences in the fight against terrorism,” and that Tehran “will spare no effort to strengthen Mali’s defense power against the threats posed by terrorist groups.”

Iran also said Western governments were meddling in Africa and that the presence of the West in those areas was a continuation of the legacy of “colonial” policies, blaming the West for creating instability.

“Although the Westerners claim hypocritically to be after security in Africa, history shows that they spread terrorism in order to justify their presence in the region and interference in the internal affairs of independent states, such as Mali,” Ashtiani added. Iran praised Mali for supporting “Palestine and its people.”

Iran’s goal here is to extend its influence to more countries in Africa, while already having established a presence on the continent through Hezbollah and other actors.

Mali’s goals here are unclear. Tasnim said that “for his part, Camara said Mali is interested in taking advantage of Iran’s experiences in the fight against terrorism and its initiative for the engagement of people and voluntary forces in ensuring security.”

The role of Iran and Russia in certain parts of Africa has been spotlighted in recent years. Moscow has sent contractors to Africa, under the guise of Wagner or other groups, to conduct operations and support governments. France, the US and others have done the same in conflicts against extremists, amid a growing threat of instability across the Sahel.

In 2017, US special forces were killed in Niger in a battle with extremists, and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited the country in March. At the time, an article in Al Jazeera noted that he went there after coups in Burkina Faso in 2022 – and Mali in 2021.

An article in the Madrid-based Atalayar noted last year that “a month after French troops officially left Mali, the country continues to prepare for the new phase of power transition in a hostile climate, threatened by attacks from jihadist groups. Taking advantage of the power and security vacuum left by French troops, Russia and its paramilitary group Wagner continue to gradually fill the gaps left by the West’s withdrawal. Indeed, the continuing threats to Mali, as well as the advance of terrorism in the Sahel region, provide an opportunity for Moscow to show itself as the African country’s security provider and supporter and thus expand its influence.”

An article in March in Arab News also noted Iran’s increased role in Africa.

“Iranian foreign policy toward African states is undergoing a sharp increase in activity and outreach. Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian visited Mali and Tanzania last year and Mauritania this year, opening new lines of diplomatic and shipping/trade opportunities. Weapons get mixed into such activities, as was witnessed during the days when Iran had arms factories in Sudan under Omar Bashir.”

Last week, Voice of America also reported that the US imposed sanctions on the head of Wagner in Mali. In that report, it said Russia was actually trying to acquire military equipment for use in its war against Ukraine.

RUSSIA AND Iran are close partners that have worked together on a number of defense programs, including Iran supplying Russia with armed drones to terrorize Ukraine. This relationship may explain the Mali partnership; if Russia has to draw down forces, Iran can backfill where vacuums exist. This happens in Syria, for example – Russia may move some assets out of Syria, but Iranian-backed militias are ready to step into the breach.

In 2021, an Al Jazeera report said Russia supplied Mali with several helicopters.

“Interim Defense Minister Sadio Camara said late on Thursday Mali had acquired the aircraft in a contract agreed in December 2020 to support its armed forces in their battle – alongside French, European and United Nations troops – with fighters linked to [Islamic State] and al-Qaeda.” This is the same Camara that visited Iran recently.

Another article at the Iraqi Al-Mashareq also detailed Iran’s growing involvement in Africa, noting that Iran had supplied drones and weapons to Ethiopia and Somalia. As well, the article noted that last year “Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita accused Iran of working through intermediaries to destabilize North and West Africa.”

Mali was seen as one of the bridgeheads of Iran in Africa.

“Iran has had a soft-power presence in Mali for several years, represented by cultural and health-related institutions such as the Iranian Red Crescent,” the report reads, as well noting Amir-Abdollahian’s visit.

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi praised Africa as a center of “resistance” – meaning Iran wants to harness African countries to its causes. Iran’s role in Africa does not dovetail with the extremist threat embodied by groups like Boko Haram or other jihadist groups, which means Tehran’s goal is to work with governments, not against them. As an example, Hezbollah used financiers in West Africa to gain influence with the former leader of The Gambia, Yahya Jammeh.

In the past though, Iran was ham-handed in its Africa approach, once being a major investor in The Gambia, and then-president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad visited the country in 2006 and again in 2009. Then, Nigeria intercepted an Iranian arms shipment and reported the incident to the UN Security Council. Iran was accused of hiding heroin in engine parts, according to a Radio Free Europe article in 2010.

Today, it appears Iran is meeting more success in Africa, which will have major ramifications for the role of the West and also could threaten Europe and Israel.

It is believed that instability in the Sahel could spread as well. The UNHCR recently said “the conflict in Africa’s Sahel continues to escalate, uninterrupted by the pandemic. This latest wave of displacement in the region – which includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali and Niger – has pushed the total number of people forced to flee within their own country in the region to beyond 2.6 million.”

Iran’s involvement probably won’t help.