US Warns Madagascar, Citing Potential Risks of Russian Ties

The United States has warned Madagascar against strengthening its military ties with Russia, cautioning that partnerships with military-led governments risk fueling broader instability.

Lt Gen John Brennan, the deputy commander of US Africa Command, said that Madagascar’s key position in the Indian Ocean renders it vital to international commerce. Brennan pointed to Russia’s expanded military cooperation with Madagascar since the military seized power in 2025, which has included supplying weapons and military instructors.

During an online briefing with journalists, Brennan expressed apprehension that Moscow aims to ‘proliferate [the Sahel model] elsewhere across the continent.’

In West Africa, nations such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger have severed ties with Western partners and turned to Moscow for military support against jihadist groups. However, militant attacks have persisted despite those closer ties.

Brennan also raised concerns regarding security in the Mozambique Channel, an essential international shipping route separating Madagascar and Mozambique from mainland Africa. He emphasized the need to prevent Islamist State-linked militants in northern Mozambique and other actors from threatening maritime activity amid recent piracy-related coastal incidents.

While noting that US partners are “free to partner with whom they wish,” Brennan urged nations to weigh the potential risks carefully, according to the BBC.

High-level defense meetings in Moscow have focused on deepening bilateral ties between Russia and Madagascar. Russian Deputy Defense Minister Vasily Osmakov held a meeting with General Demosthene Pikulas, Chief of the Army Staff of Madagascar, according to reports from TASS.

“Vasily Osmakov has held a working meeting with General Demosthene Pikulas, Chief of the Army Staff of the Republic of Madagascar. During the talks, the sides discussed joint projects of bilateral cooperation in the defense sphere and further plans toward their practical implementation,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement reported by TASS.

The two defense officials “reaffirmed their commitment to developing constructive dialogue and maintaining their high level of interdepartmental partnership,” the Russian Defense Ministry added.

Madagascar has not publicly responded to the recent American warnings. However, President Michaël Randrianirina has recently voiced support for stronger ties between Russia and African nations, visiting Moscow in February a few months after the military takeover and signing several defense, tourism, and trade agreements during the Russia-Africa summit.