ISW releases report on Russia’s increasing influence in Africa

Russia is expanding its political, economic, and military influence in Africa, according to a report by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW). 

Moscow is forging strategic ties with the juntas of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), a region that stretches the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Military regimes in that area have seized power through coups in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, all former French colonies in West Africa.

This partnership not only boosts Russia’s influence in the region but also provides access to valuable mineral resources, including potentially vast reserves of gold, uranium, and other natural resources, according to the ISW.

The strategic alliance was formalized at the AES summit in Moscow on April 3, with Russia becoming the first country to recognize the tripartite joint forces, also known as the Arabian Eagle States, established on July 6.

“Russia and AES member states expressed a willingness to jointly combat regional instability and enhance ongoing counterterrorism efforts, with Russia agreeing to provide modern weapons and military training for a planned 5,000-strong joint force that will deploy to the central Sahel region,” the ISW report reads.

Russia and AES have also agreed to collaborate on infrastructure development, trade, economic growth, investment, and strengthening the banking system. 

“Russia’s support for the AES is a long-term strategic endeavor aimed at advancing the Kremlin’s geopolitical goals of undermining Western influence in Africa and threatening NATO’s southern flank,” the report adds.

Russian influence in African countries is widely regarded as substantial, yet the foundations of this influence are not always clear. 

Dzvinka Kachur, UWC Regional Vice President for Africa, a research associate at the Centre for Sustainability Transitions at Stellenbosch University in South Africa and a co-founder of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa non-profit organization, provides further insights into this matter.

Read more at the link.