Russian Energy Week in Moscow: Towards the development of civil nuclear power plants in Burkina Faso and Mali?

Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been actively seeking to strengthen its diplomatic, security and economic ties with Africa, competing in some countries with France, the former colonial power. Two major agreements were announced at the Russian Energy Week in Moscow, illustrating Russia's growing power on the African continent. Burkina Faso: Towards a New Nuclear Power Plant Burkina Faso has signed a major agreement with Russia for the construction of a nuclear power plant. This ambitious project aims to cover the energy needs of a population where less than 25% has access to electricity according to statistics for the end of 2020. For Burkina Faso, this agreement represents a crucial step towards bridging the energy gap and boosting the country's industrialization. However, the question of the feasibility and relevance of this project is still very much alive. The challenges of such a project range from geographical location and technical aspects, to the availability of personnel qualified to operate a nuclear power plant. Not forgetting safety standards, which are a guarantee of performance and safety. Because, it has to be said, the most successful projects are those that have been carefully planned, that are based on rigorous processes ensuring that the plant design, materials and personnel are ready before construction starts, for which policies, procedures and a safety culture are implemented on site, enabling coordination between the organizations involved. All these measures call into question the feasibility of the project. In the context of the Alliance of Sahel States, an alliance comprising Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, the probable development of civil nuclear power could strengthen the alliance's position on the international stage, while meeting the growing energy needs of these countries, especially as Mali is also involved in a similar project.