Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his recent tour of African countries that Russia was going to assist the countries of the Sahara-Sahel region, including Chad, in the fight against terrorism.
"Yes, we have heard [Lavrov's] statement, but have not yet seen any specific proposals from Russia. Yes, of course, we need this [support in the fight against terrorism]," Chad’s foreign minister told Sputnik.
He added that Russia and Chad need to sign an agreement on the fight against terrorism that would address new challenges.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has conducted two African tours since the beginning of 2023, with one encompassing South Africa, Eswatini, Angola, and Eritrea and the other Mali, Mauritania and Sudan. The topic of cooperation in the field of security was among the key points during the second tour.
Chad is among the Sahelian countries struggling with Islamic terrorist groups, including Boko Haram*, which started its insurgency in Nigeria in 2009 and expanded it to neighboring countries – including Sudan – in 2014.
*terrorist organization outlawed in Russia and other countries