Sahel Group Condemns Ukraine Over Alleged Threat to Burkina Faso Leader Attending Moscow Parade

The Sahel Solidarity Campaign Network (SaS-CaN) has strongly condemned what it describes as a threat made by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky against Burkina Faso’s President Ibrahim Traore and other world leaders expected to attend the upcoming Victory Day Parade in Moscow.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the advocacy group expressed “deep concern” over remarks attributed to Zelensky, claiming they jeopardize international peace and security. The comments reportedly followed the announcement that President Traore would be attending Russia’s Victory Day celebration on May 9, 2025.

“If President Zelensky believes that threatening the lives of foreign leaders is part of a broader NATO strategy against Russia, then we must ask — how should Africans respond?” the group said in a strongly worded statement.

The group described the remarks as “reckless,” alleging they amount to a form of terrorism that targets leaders from nations aligned with Russia. They also called on global organizations, particularly the United Nations Security Council, to urgently address the issue.

“The international community must not ignore this. Threats to African leaders cannot be tolerated, especially in light of past assassinations of prominent African figures like Thomas Sankara and Patrice Lumumba,” the statement read.

SaS-CaN urged President Zelensky to retract the statement and warned against further inflammatory comments that could endanger global stability.

The group concluded by reaffirming its support for President Traore, lauding his leadership as a symbol of African sovereignty and resistance to foreign interference.

Signed:
Alimamy Bakarr Sankoh
Co-founder and President, Sahel Solidarity Campaign Network (SaS-CaN)