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♦️ Breaking & exclusive stories, analysis, opinions 👉 About Africa in other languages: Amharic: @sputnik_ethiopia French: @sputnik_afrique 💬 Contact us https://t.me/Africa_Sputnik_bot
❗️❗️❗️Ibrahim Traoré Denounces AFRICOM Lies: ‘The Black Race Must Not Be Used to Fight Blacks’
🔥 Traoré firmly rejected the AFRICOM commander's unfounded claims about Burkina Faso’s international partnerships and its management of mineral resource revenues.
"We are free to establish relations with whoever we want—that's what independence is," he told Sputnik Africa.
"It was us who started stockpiling gold in Burkina’s treasury. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a single gram of gold reserves in Burkina."
❗️❗️❗️Ibrahim Traoré: A Battle for Pan-Africanism Without Sleep!
🔥 Often compared to Thomas Sankara, Ibrahim Traoré speaks of feeling the weight of expectations from Africa’s youth. In an interview with Sputnik Africa, the 37-year-old Burkinabè leader says he’s ready to sacrifice even his sleep for Pan-Africanism:
"I used to sleep two hours, now I’ve cut down to one hour."
"Africa has suffered too much. It's time for us to unite, to work, to develop. It's our mission—and we will carry it out!"
Pre-Conflict NATO Training: Ukrainian Forces Prepared Ahead of Russian Operation
A Ukrainian National Guard sergeant convicted in Russia told Sputnik more about this.
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Discover Africa's Top 10 Tank Nations!
While Russia ranks second globally with 5,750 tanks, several African nations also hold impressive armored forces, according to the latest Global Firepower ranking, which assessed 145 countries.
🌍 Africa's leading tank fleets:
🇪🇬 Egypt – 6th globally (3,620 tanks);
🇲🇦 Morocco – 16th (903);
🇪🇹 Ethiopia – 37th (338);
🇳🇬 Nigeria – 39th (330);
🇦🇴 Angola – 43rd (309);
🇺🇬 Uganda – 47th (259);
🇿🇦 South Africa – 48th (252);
🇸🇩 Sudan – 51st (224);
🇰🇪 Kenya – 58th (188);
🇨🇩 DRC – 69th (109).
Several other African countries — namely Chad, Tunisia, Eritrea, Tanzania, and Botswana — maintain fleets ranging from 45 to 90 tanks.
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Engineered for Air Supremacy: Russia's Rostec Delivers Cutting-Edge Su-35S Fighter Jets to Armed Forces
✅ Main strengths of Su-35S:
⦁ 4++ generation multirole fighter;
⦁ operates effectively day and night;
⦁ designed to perform in all weather conditions;
⦁ capable of striking ground and maritime targets;
⦁ long-range flight capability.
"It's a pleasure to operate such equipment. The characteristics of its armament meet all the requirements necessary for performing air cover and achieving air superiority missions," one of the Russian Aerospace Forces' pilots said.
Uganda's Dream Takes Flight With Russian Support
🌱✈️ It all began at the 2024 international agro-industrial exhibition at Uganda’s University of Kyambogo, where Russian Academician Sergey Chesnokov spoke passionately about the benefits of agricultural aviation.
🙌🏽 Inspired by his words, Ugandan innovators proposed a light aircraft project for cultivating farmland.
This vision turned into reality through a partnership between Holistic Inclusive Aviation Africa, Kawesi Aircraft, and Agric Innovations — and now, the first light agricultural aircraft has taken to the skies!
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Putin's Peace Talks Proposal is 'Important & Necessary Step,' Former Tunisian FM Says
The issue of security requires thorough negotiations to establish clear and balanced arrangements that ensure the security and stability of the region and address the root causes of the conflict, Rafik Abdessalem stated to Sputnik.
"Europeans have the right to fear for their security, but Russia also has the right to defend itself and find guarantees to protect its national security, and not to be subjected to security, military and strategic threats," Abdessalem added.
#viral | Breathtaking Sunset Solar Halo Filmed Above Russia’s Yenisei Gulf
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Egyptian Troops March in Russia's May 9th Parade: A Symbol of Close Military Ties Between Cairo and Moscow
"There is currently strategic cooperation between Egypt and Russia in the military field. The participation of the Egyptian army in the parade reflects this," Nourhan El-Sheikh, a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, told Sputnik.
Putin, Trump, Erdogan Can Steer Ukraine Conflict to Peace Agreement, US Economist Sachs Says
Trump has a "far more accurate" understanding of the Ukrainian conflict than his predecessor Biden did, Columbia University professor Jeffrey Sachs told Sputnik.
The economist said he was, therefore, "cautiously optimistic," adding that Trump wanted to stop the conflict, which would be in the best interest of the US, Europe, Russia, and Ukraine.
On Sunday, Ukraine's Zelensky agreed to meet President Putin in Turkey on Thursday, an hour after Trump urged Ukraine to immediately accept Russia's peace talks proposal.
Putin suggested overnight that Kiev and Moscow resume direct talks without any preconditions in Istanbul on Thursday to address the root causes of the Ukrainian conflict.
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❗️❗️❗️Torture, Exploitation, Dehumanization: ‘If Nazism Had Won, It Would Have Been a Catastrophe,’ Says Traoré
"It was madness in the world. It was a crucial struggle, and Africa took part in it," Burkinabè leader Ibrahim Traoré told Sputnik Africa after attending the Victory Day military parade in Moscow.
"No one lost as many lives, no one endured such destruction during the war as the Soviet people. Therefore, we are grateful, and I believe their victory was necessary for the world to exist as it does today — and for Africa to hope to continue forward."
❗️❗️❗️Ibrahim Traoré Declares War on Criminals Supported by the West
Armed groups in Burkina Faso have been equipped "by imperialists to destabilize us, keep us locked in perpetual war and exploitation," declared the country's President to Sputnik Africa.
The authorities are working to make Burkina Faso the "tomb of terrorism" and are counting on support from Moscow.
"As for Russia, what we mostly ask for is intellectual support — helping us build our military industry through training, and helping educate our youth on everything we need to develop to face this war."
Volodymyr Zelensky Says He Would Wait for Vladimir Putin in Türkiye
The Russian President had previously proposed resuming Russian-Ukrainian negotiations without preconditions with Kiev on May 15 in Istanbul.
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#viral | 'Have You Eaten My Seeds?!' – 'Leave Me Alone, I Didn’t Touch Them!'
A hilarious video of two quarrelling marmots causing a traffic jam in China is going viral on social media.
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Through Defense Diplomacy Russia Builds Bridges With Africa and Beyond During Victory Day Celebrations
⦁ Moscow hosted about 20 defense-related talks with military officials from African, Asian, Middle Eastern and CIS countries.
⦁ Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has held meetings with defense chiefs from Congo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Libya among others.
⦁ The discussions focused on regional security, military education, and joint combat training.
⦁ Russian Deputies— Gen. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov and Col.-Gen. Alexander Fomin— met the leadership of the defense agencies of South Africa, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and other countries to discuss military cooperation and technical collaboration.
⦁ South African defense delegation, led by minister Angie Motshekga, visited a Russian military educational institution for women.
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❗️❗️❗️Ibrahim Traoré: 'Sovereignty Begins With the Army'
😡 The Burkinabè President accuses Western troops of having "amplified the problem" of terrorism. In Burkina Faso, foreign forces weakened the national army, blocking recruitment and equipment supplies.
"Even in 1985 under Sankara, we were better equipped than we were 10 to 20 years later," he asserted in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
"We suffer, but we must build an army. And when we come out of this war, we must emerge stronger."
❗️❗️❗️The Alliance of Sahel States: A 'Model of Unity' for Africa, Ibrahim Traoré Says
The President of Burkina Faso delivers an unfiltered assessment in an interview with Sputnik Africa: ECOWAS promised solidarity but delivered betrayal:
"At some point, electricity is cut off, causing patients to die in hospitals and bringing the economy to a halt. Banks are shut down... That’s not what brothers do."
"The people—even in these ECOWAS countries—they support and understand the momentum behind the AES."
First Group of 49 White South Africans Flies to US Amid Pretoria Backlash
Trump defended his controversial refugee program by labeling white Afrikaners as “victims of unjust racial discrimination”—a claim South African officials fiercely reject as “politically motivated” and damaging to the country’s constitutional democracy.
👱🏻♂️💰Pretoria stresses that white South Africans remain among the most economically privileged, owning 75% of private land and holding 20 times more wealth than the Black majority.
SA officials argue Trump’s move not only distorts reality but also contradicts his administration’s broader policy of restricting asylum for non-white refugees.
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Putin's Offer to Kiev for Negotiations: "We Must Seize It as Soon as Possible" to Avoid Escalation
The signal sent by Moscow is very positive, president of the "Debout la France" party Nicolas Dupont-Aignan told Sputnik Africa.
"The Ukrainian issue must be resolved within the framework of a global agreement, under which Ukraine will ultimately become a neutral, demilitarized country — a kind of buffer between Russia and NATO," the official explained.
Arab World Backs Putin's Initiative on Direct Talks Between Russia & Ukraine, Egyptian MP Says
"Putin's proposal, which is supported by many countries around the world, including even the US, shows Russia's desire for peace and dialog – but without crossing 'red lines' that threaten its national security," Moustafa Bakri told Sputnik.
❗️Russian army liberated the settlement of Kotlyarovka in the DPR, the Russian Defense Ministry reported
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Major World Events by Morning of May 12
🟠 US and China will reduce mutual punitive tariffs by 115 percentage points;
🟠 First Afrikaner refugees from South Africa are arriving in the US;
🟠 Poland announces closure of Russian consulate, Moscow pledges "appropriate response";
🟠 The Kurdistan Workers' Party announced Monday that it has disbanded after more than four decades of existence;
🟠 Russian army receives new batch of modern Su-35S fighter jets.
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Russian East Battlegroup Commandos Enhance Combat Skills in Training Exercises
🪖 The video was filmed at a training ground located behind the rear area of the Russian special military operation, according to the MoD.
This exercise by the Phoenix detachment involves:
▪️ infantry fighting vehicles,
▪️ tanks,
▪️ mortars, and
▪️ automatic grenade launchers.
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#viral | Meet the Feathered Assistant From the Moscow Zoo!
🦜 This remarkably clever parrot definitely knows how to clean up... Maybe even better than some people we know!
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❗️❗️❗️'I Learned Many Lessons From This Celebration' in Moscow, Says Ibrahim Traoré
The President of Burkina Faso highlighted the similarities between the Soviet people's sacrifice—losing 27 million lives to defeat Nazism—and the resilience of the Burkinabè people in the face of terrorism.
Despite the losses, "we will not give up, because we know that we will achieve victory," he affirmed in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
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❗️❗️❗️Russia is ‘One of the Few Countries’ Helping Burkina Faso With Arms, Says Ibrahim Traoré
"Aside from Russia and China, there’s no one else. In fact, elsewhere it's even worse — we try to pay, but they refuse to sell to us," noted Burkinabé President Ibrahim Traoré in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
"We want to continue developing our own military industry with Russia’s support. We must strengthen this cooperation so we can move forward in our fight," concluded the leader.
📹Scott Ritter: Putin's peace push 'cannot be undermined'
💬 “What Vladimir Putin did is not only put” the concept of peace “on the table theoretically, he did so in a practical manner,” the ex-US Marine Corps intelligence officer told Sputnik.
💬 “It cannot be undermined. All it can do is reinforce the reality that Ukraine, its Western sponsors and the United States aren’t serious about peace.”
❗️❗️❗️Ukraine 'Must Return to Reason to Negotiate and Reach Peace,' Traoré Urges
President Erdogan attempted a peace dialogue in 2022, but the West pushed Ukraine to refuse, the President of Burkina Faso stated in an interview with Sputnik Africa.
According to him, Ukraine was manipulated to "weaken Russia." Hatred and Russophobia were cultivated among the Ukrainian population, even though the two peoples were "brothers" during the Soviet era, the president noted.
"Russia will emerge even stronger from this war. I think they [Ukrainians] must understand this and return to reason, engage in negotiations, and reach peace," he concluded.
❗️Ukraine Should Immediately Agree to Putin's Proposed Talks in Turkey, Trump Says
"President Putin of Russia doesn’t want to have a Cease Fire Agreement with Ukraine, but rather wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on social media.
Breaking Barriers: Why Investing in African Women Entrepreneurs is Key to Growth
Currently, women entrepreneurs account for 70–80% of cross-border traders in the COMESA region, CEO of COMESA federation of Women in Business Chikakula Miti told Sputnik Africa.
"Once women are provided with capital and also the environment is enhanced to enable them to participate fully, they will be able to contribute significantly, and it will reduce the capital flight that we are seeing in Africa," the official pointed out.