Amid violent insurgencies, countries like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso are turning away from their allies in the West, particularly France. they are following in the footsteps of the Central African Republic and getting closer with Russia and its Wagner mercenaries.

We look at what Russia has to gain in the region with the BBC's senior West Africa reporter Yemisi Adegoke, BBC Monitoring’s Vitaliy Shevchenko and our reporter in Abuja, Chris Ewokor.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists around the world, with Katya Adler. We’re keen to hear from you, wherever you are in the world. #TheGlobalStory Your ideas, stories and experiences help us understand and tell The Global Story. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note on WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Today’s episode of The Global Story was made by Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty and Richard Moran. The technical producers were Dafydd Evans and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Jonathan Aspinwall.

Guns, gold and grain: Putin’s strategy in West Africa 26:16 Share

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Guns, gold and grain: Putin’s strategy in West Africa