Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement

The document analyzes Russia's strategic pivot toward Africa as a means to diversify partners and evade Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. It identifies three primary pillars of engagement: economic interests in mining, energy, and agriculture; geopolitical efforts to undermine Western influence in the Sahel and Mediterranean; and the promotion of multipolarity to challenge US-led unipolarity. While Africa is described as a 'policy tool' rather than a central priority, Russia leverages its lack of colonial history and non-conditional military support to gain influence among African states.

• Russia's engagement in Africa is driven by three central themes: the pursuit of alternative economic partnerships, the search for geopolitical leverage, and the promotion of multipolarity.
• Africa is viewed by the Kremlin more as a strategic instrument for broader global interests than as a primary destination of interest in its own right.
• Russia's economic presence in Africa is significantly smaller than that of China, the US, or the EU; in 2021, Russia's total trade with Africa was slightly over $17 billion, compared to over $333 billion for the EU and over $190 billion for China.
• Russia utilizes Africa to bypass Western sanctions, specifically by accessing gold from Sudan and diamonds from the Central African Republic, and by using the Chinese UnionPay system.
• The Russian defense industry is a major pillar of collaboration, providing 44% of Africa's imported military equipment between 2017 and 2021, aided by a lack of human rights or governance conditionalities.
• Russia seeks to project power in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean by establishing footholds in North Africa, the Horn of Africa, and East Africa to create an 'arc of deterrence' and influence trade routes.
• The Wagner Group serves as a key instrument for Russian security presence, providing services in exchange for natural resources in countries such as Mali, Sudan, the CAR, Mozambique, and Libya.
• Russia leverages its role as a major wheat and fertilizer exporter to gain influence and accuse the West of hypocrisy regarding food crises in Africa.
• Russia promotes a 'multipolar' world order to align with African nations' frustrations with US liberal hegemony and the 'rules-based world order'.
• The Russian policymaking process for Africa is top-down, starting with the Kremlin, but implementation is often driven by commercial interests, oligarchs, and informal agents.

APA

Vuksanović, V. (2023). Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_OP_341_MoscowsContinent.pdf

Chicago

Vuksanović, Vuk. Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2023. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_OP_341_MoscowsContinent.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vuksanović |first1=Vuk |title=Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2023 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_OP_341_MoscowsContinent.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vuksanovi2023moscows, author = {Vuksanović, Vuk}, title = {{Moscow’s Continent: The Principles of Russia’s Africa Policy Engagement}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2023}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/SAIIA_OP_341_MoscowsContinent.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }