Explained: Russian Officials Tour Six African Countries

Russia's interest in Africa appears not merely temporary but strategic, aiming to assert itself as an alternative to France, which has faced increasing isolation on the continent in recent years.

In the latest move under this strategy, Foreign Minister of Russia Sergey Lavrov and Deputy Defense Minister Yunus-Bek Yevkurov embarked on simultaneous tours to several African countries.

These tours led the Russian diplomats to four stops: Guinea, Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, and Chad, while the military official headed to Niger and Mali after visiting Libya.

Lavrov began his diplomatic tour with a visit to Guinea on June 3, 2024, where several Russian companies operate, including Rusal, supplying raw materials to Russian aluminum plants, accounting for 25% of their production, according to the Russian embassy.

On June 4, Lavrov arrived in the Republic of Congo, which has seen a rapid 85% growth in trade volume with Russia from January to April 2023.

The discussions during the visit included enhancing technical military cooperation between the two sides.

In 2019, an agreement was signed between the two countries to send Russian military specialists to Congo. Negotiations are ongoing for the supply of modern Russian military equipment to the country.

On June 5, Lavrov arrived in Burkina Faso, a country governed by a military regime close to Moscow, where he stated that “the number of Russian trainers in Burkina Faso will increase.”

"From the very first contacts between our countries after President (Ibrahim) Traoré came to power, we have been very closely engaged in all areas of cooperation, including the development of military and military-technical ties," TASS news agency quoted Lavrov saying during a visit to Burkina Faso.

The fourth country is Chad, where Lavrov arrived on the same day and said, "I can guarantee you that our friendship with Chad will not affect our relations with France in any way. France has other approaches; it proceeds from the fact that either you are with us or you are against us.”

The tour marks Lavrov's sixth visit to the African continent within two years, with his visits to Burkina Faso and Chad being the first in the history of relations between Russia and these countries.

In July 2022, the Russian Foreign Minister visited Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by visits to South Africa, Eswatini, Angola, and Eritrea in January 2023. In February of the same year, he visited Mali, Mauritania, and Sudan. Between late May and early June, he visited Kenya, Burundi, Mozambique, and South Africa, with his last African tour in August 2023, attending the BRICS summit in South Africa.

Military Tour 

Simultaneously North Africa News (NAN) reported on June 2, 2024, that the rebel general controlling eastern Libya, Khalifa Haftar, received Deputy Defense Minister of Russia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov at the General Command Headquarters in Rajma at the beginning of June 2024.

According to the same source, Haftar confirmed the friendly relations between the two countries and the importance of their development in military and economic fields, including enhancing military training and efficiency.

The Russian military official spoke about his country's contribution to enhancing the capabilities of the General Command's forces, emphasizing mutual cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism.

On June 4, 2024, Yevkurov arrived on a working visit to Niger from Benghazi, Libya, as reported by Nova News.

The same source highlighted that the Russian official discussed with the head of the ruling military council in Niger, Abdourahamane Tchiani, and Defense Minister Salifou Modi, enhancing bilateral cooperation in various fields such as security, defense, and economic development.

Both sides expressed their desire to strengthen their strategic partnership based on mutual respect and trust, seeking coordinated solutions to regional and international challenges. Yevkurov reiterated Russia's commitment to supporting Niger in its legitimate aspirations.

Yevkurov actually arrived in Niamey on December 4, 2023, to sign a memorandum of cooperation across multiple sectors between Niger and Russia.

The Afrinz website reported on June 5, 2024, that Deputy Defense Minister of Russia Yunus-Bek Yevkurov met with the Minister of Defense and Veterans Affairs of Mali, Sadio Camara.

The source mentioned that during this meeting in Mali with Minister Sadio, the focus was on military cooperation between the two countries, which is progressing well.

Russia has never hidden its readiness and steadfast commitment to support Mali in the relentless war against terrorism, ongoing for more than a decade.

The website noted that “thanks to this support, the Malian army managed to regain full control of territories from armed groups.”

Dismantling Influence

In his interpretation of these Russian movements, Ahmed Noureddine, an expert in international relations and African affairs, stated that Russia's goals are manifold in its Foreign Minister's tour, especially as it marks the fourth visit in less than a year, indicating its efforts to break the isolation imposed by NATO countries.

He told Al-Estiklal that Russia aims, through this tour and its strikes, to dismantle French and Western influence in Africa overall, by applying a strategy of exhausting parties to weaken and eliminate them. Here, “the parties” refer to African countries, Latin American countries, and Asian countries.

Noureddine highlighted that “Russia's strategy, which began in 2014 after the annexation of Crimea, has led to weakening Western influence in the African arena, while Russia has achieved significant successes.”

Noureddine, also, explained that this strategy includes security and military aspects, primarily through providing military support by experts and enabling students to access Russian institutes. This is also achieved by expanding the deployment of Wagner Group forces in countries across the continent.

He warned that “all of this has enabled Russia to achieve significant economic interests against the West, especially against France, after we saw France humiliated out of Mali and expelled its ambassador from Niger, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic.”

He emphasized that “these countries, despite their economic weakness and fragility, pose a threat to the French economy on multiple levels. For instance, Niger has a uranium mine exploited by France and crucial for its nuclear energy.”

“Additionally, Paris exploits a large number of gold, diamond, and precious metal mines in coastal and African countries in general.”

Therefore, Noureddine reiterated that when Russia exploits France's expulsion from four countries, it directly threatens the French economy and, on the other hand, jeopardizes its strategic security and vital interests in these African countries.

On the other hand, Dmitry Bridzhe, a researcher at the Eurasia-Arab Studies Center (CAES), said that Russia is now interested in building relations with various African countries and approaching them, with its strategy based on the necessity of always having a foothold in Africa.

He clarified to Al-Estiklal that this visit by Lavrov is ample evidence that Russia benefits from France's weak policy in Africa and invests in the rejection of African countries for their former colonial roles.

“This is especially since France has not provided anything to Africa, does not support the liberation of peoples, or serve as a good economic model for the continent's countries. Instead, its approach is based on manipulating these countries' policies and looting their underground wealth.”

The Russian academic researcher stressed that Moscow is directly engaged in African affairs through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that “it also focuses on strengthening its soft power on the continent through cultural entry points, such as education, graduating skills, spreading the Russian language, and teaching it.”

Bridzhe highlighted that Russia is working to create a new elite of African military leaders through training, which will have an impact on future African domestic policies. Moreover, Africa Corps (Afrika Korps) being established in cooperation with several African countries is a project that will play an important future role on the continent.

The same speaker mentioned that Russia benefits from the legacy left by Soviet policy in Africa, emphasizing that it was not as negative compared to European colonial policies in Africa. Moscow has developed this policy for multiple dimensions.

He did not rule out that Russia will deepen its relations with several African countries, making them a stage for direct or indirect confrontation with the West, especially the United States, under U.S. and Western sanctions against the Russian economy.

The expert also mentioned that Russian-Western competition will continue, amidst the rise of extreme right-wing influence in most European Union countries, indicating the failure of Union policies in several fields, including migration and foreign relations.

In response to a question about the benefits Africa will reap from Russian movements, Ahmed Noureddine said that the first benefit lies in diversifying strategic partners, allowing it a margin of maneuver to achieve greater sovereign gains against former colonial countries or dominant states.

On another note, he added to Al-Estiklal, “We see that African countries rely heavily on importing Russian wheat, with 20% of wheat imports coming from Russia. Moreover, the latter exports other essential foodstuffs to ensure African food security.”

The COVID-19 crisis has proven to Africa that Russia can be relied upon, as it worked to provide vaccines to several African countries at a time when these vaccines were globally scarce. The world witnessed how Europe turned inwards on itself.

Noureddine added that Russia is the world's second-largest source of arms and supplies them to the African market, without delving into its internal affairs and policies as the West does, under the guise of human rights, freedoms, and democracy—a right that the West falsely claims, aimed primarily at blackmailing African countries.

French Perspective

European media, especially French, have not ignored Russia's growing role in Africa, affirming that Moscow seeks to increase its influence in the continent, as noted in the editorial of the French website Africanews on June 7, 2024.

The website mentioned that Russia has become the preferred security partner for an increasing number of African governments in the region, at the expense of traditional allies like France and the United States.

It highlighted that Moscow has significantly expanded its military cooperation with African countries through the use of the private security company Wagner and its potential successor, the African Legion, where Russian mercenaries undertake roles ranging from protecting African leaders to assisting countries in the fight against extremists.

It emphasized that Russia also seeks political support, or at least neutrality, from many of the 54 African countries regarding its invasion of Ukraine, with African countries constituting the largest voting bloc in the United Nations.

The editorial accused what it described as entities linked to Russia of spreading misleading information to undermine relations between African countries and the West.

Russia exploited political turmoil and anger in countries that experienced coups, benefiting from popular frustration and anger towards the former colonial power France. Military coups have ousted governments that were close to France and the West and did little to alleviate poverty, unemployment, and other difficulties, according to the same source.

Russia offers security assistance without interfering in politics, making it an attractive partner in countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, all under military juntas that seized power in recent years. In return, Moscow seeks access to minerals and other privileges.

Africanews mentioned that "Russia has gained access to gold and diamonds in the Central African Republic, cobalt in Congo, gold and oil in Sudan, chromite in Madagascar, and platinum and diamonds in Zimbabwe, as well as uranium in Namibia.

It also stated that Wagner and Russia may have earned about $2.5 billion from the African gold trade since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In contrast, a study titled "Militarizing Africa: Soviet Assets for Russian Doctrine," published by the French magazine Le Grand Continent on May 28, 2024, argued that "Russia lacks a strategy and plan to ensure continuity in its dealings with the continent."

The study noted that "Soviet policy in Africa was rooted in ideology, offering an alternative to Western capitalism. However, Russian tactics in Africa today are fundamentally opportunistic, focusing on seizing primary resources and gaining political capital in international forums."

The same source explained that "Russia's resurgence in Africa is due to increasing competition on the continent amid ongoing instability."

“Russia's anti-Western rhetoric aligns with the interests of many African elites, who evoke legitimate historical grievances regarding colonial legacies and failed interactions with the West to justify their growing relations with Russia."

"In these circumstances, Ukraine, under attack from Russia, finds itself facing the greater challenge of rallying African countries to its side,” it concluded.