Putin promises Africa 'full support' in its campaign against the West November 11, 2024

Wladimir Putin in close-up

By AFP - Agence France Presse

Putin promises Africa 'full support' in its campaign against the West

Russia is trying to woo African countries this weekend at a summit in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, with President Vladimir Putin promising “full support” to the continent.

Facing isolation in the West after its large-scale offensive against Ukraine, Moscow has tried to build new partnerships in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, promoting itself as a bulwark against what it calls Western domination in the international arena.

“Our country will continue to give full support to our African friends in different sectors,” Putin said in a speech read out by Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to other foreign ministers and senior officials.

The Kremlin leader, who did not attend the conference, said that Russia's relations with Africa have grown “stronger and stronger” in recent years.

The conference is another opportunity for Russia to promote its vision of a “multipolar world” - a month after hosting the BRICS summit of major emerging economies.

Russia was an important player in Africa in Soviet times and has increased its influence on the continent in recent years, including militarily.

Three West African countries - Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso - have turned their backs on the former colonial power, France, since being ruled by the military following a series of coups in 2020 and have turned to Moscow.

Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group or its successor, the Africa Corps, now support several African governments, and Russian “advisors” work with local authorities.

In 2023, Russia delivered more than $5 billion in arms to Africa, according to the state-owned company Rosoboronexport.

Major Russian companies also have significant investments on the continent, such as diamond miner Alrosa in Angola and Zimbabwe and energy giant Lukoil in Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and Congo.

Russia's narrative, which blasts Western “neo-colonialism,” is a message that resonates with some of the continent's leaders.

“Russia is not a colonial power” and ‘has never been a colonial power,’ said Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop on the sidelines of the Russia-Africa conference on Saturday.

“On the contrary, Russia has stood shoulder to shoulder with African peoples and other peoples of the world to help them get out of the colonial system,” he said.

Russia was a major colonial power during the 18th and 19th centuries - although not in Africa - conquering territories in Europe, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to expand its borders across Eurasia.

Burkina Faso's foreign minister, Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, said that partnership with Russia was more suitable for his country than historical ties with France.

“The offer that has been made through cooperation with Russia is more suitable for the people” of Burkina Faso, he told AFP in an interview on the sidelines of the Sochi summit.

Both are countries that have moved closer to Moscow following military coups and where Russian military instructors are sent to help in the decade-long fight against Islamist insurgents.

But Traore, from Burkina Faso, rejected the idea that Burkina Faso could become too dependent on Moscow.

“There is no room for fear because we know what we want and where we want to go. And we know how we want to work with our new partners,” he told AFP.

However, some analysts are skeptical about the depth of Russia's interest.

In an interview with AFP, Bakary Sambe, director of the Timbuktu Institute in Dakar, questioned whether Russia's involvement in Africa was a “real strategic priority” for the Kremlin.

“Would Russia have the same interest in Africa,” he asked if the conflict in Ukraine ”came to an end?”

bur/ju/yad