Russia has claimed that instability in the Sahel region has been attributed to a “reckless Western adventure in Libya” during a recent briefing to the UN Security Council. Nebenzia cited the impact of Mali and the Sahel region on Western military intervention in Libya, saying that destabilization in the area was affected by the 2011 Libyan conflict. Nebenzia pledged that Russia will continue to pursue normalization in Mali through its efforts in the Security Council. The group has become widespread in several sensitive locations in the country, with Moscow providing military equipment to the transitional authorities. Africom commander Michael Langley has labeled the group’s activities in Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic as destabilizing, citing brutal tactics and human rights violations.
