Madagascar’s military, which has been in control of the country for five months, has received a new shipment of weapons and equipment from Russia as cooperation between the two countries deepens. This was reported by Bloomberg.
The shipment included armored vehicles, small arms, ammunition and military uniforms. The shipment was inspected by Madagascar’s President Michel Randrianirina, who holds the rank of army colonel. The delivery followed his talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
The aid, which also includes training for senior Malagasy military personnel, is a “strategic asset for the country’s army,” according to Madagascar’s Defense Minister Elie Razafitombo.
After Randrianirina and the military ousted President Andry Rajoelina from power last October amid mass protests over water and electricity shortages, Russia has rapidly strengthened ties with the African nation. In December, Russia sent troops and weapons to protect the country’s new leadership, and in February, it handed over military helicopters and aid after the cyclone.
Randrianirina departed from established practice by making his first foreign visit to Moscow and meeting with Putin, rather than the French president, as previous leaders had done. He later also met with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Russia provides military support to several unstable African states, including the Central African Republic and Mali, and has signed military cooperation agreements with a number of other countries.
