CliqNews Desk · EN
US fears Russia could repeat Sahel playbook in Madagascar.
The United States has warned Madagascar that its growing military relationship with Russia could turn the Indian Ocean island into the next front in Moscow’s expanding influence across Africa.
Lanaka Valery
12 November 2026 · 1 min
US Africa Command deputy commander Lieutenant General John Brennan said Washington is concerned that Russia wants to replicate the “Sahel model” its security partnerships with military-led governments in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger in Madagascar and Mozambique.
Russia has deepened its ties with Madagascar since the military seized power in 2025, supplying weapons and sending instructors from its paramilitary Africa Corps. The two countries have also signed cooperation agreements covering defense, trade and tourism.
Brennan said Russia’s approach has been “largely ineffective” in the Sahel and East Africa, warning that copying it elsewhere could worsen insecurity rather than solve it.
Madagascar’s location gives the warning added weight. The island sits beside major Indian Ocean shipping routes, making its stability important not only for southern Africa but for global trade and maritime security.
Washington is also watching Mozambique, another strategically important Indian Ocean nation, amid fears that Russia could use security deals to expand its reach and influence across the region.
Brennan said Madagascar and other countries are free to choose their security partners, but must understand the risks involved.
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