Russia’s Africa Policy: Return or Rebirth

How the past shapes the future is of great importance when reading Russia’s Africa Policy. The main focus of the Cold War-era Africa Policy was to ensure ideological expansion and to reinforce the idea of a common living space put forward by Soviet thought. In addition, the concept of balance of power and competition provided an important motivation for Russia’s relations with Africa. Therefore, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics’ (USSR) interest in Africa is not a continuous situation in which Soviet foreign policy was developed and implemented within the traditional ideological framework. Soviet foreign policy tried to apply its ideology and methods to the continent with various changes. These changes and policies show similarities and differences in terms of ı. However, if a comparison is made in Russia’s Africa Policy, especially before and after 2000, it can be seen that the biggest difference is the ideological partnership and the search for alternative partners.[1] However, the envisioning of a multipolar system is also an important reason for Africa in Russian Foreign Policy. 

Soviet Socialism had to have a strong base in Africa as in all continents. The existence of states in the socialist model to be adopted in the continent had to be in line with the USSR’s policy of prioritising relations with the West and in line with the interests of international dynamics.[2] Although the scope of the Russian Federation’s Africa Policy can be traced back to the 2000s, as a fruit of the lessons learnt from the heavy sanctions imposed on Russia in the international system, especially in Europe, after the crisis with Ukraine in 2014, it has caused Russia to seek emergency exit doors for its survival and to turn its face to its friends outside the West, and to increase its economic and political relations more. For Russia, which left the continent during the Brezhnev era, Africa is a perfect fit in this respect. In order to return or to reassert its influence, it is important to approach the continent in accordance with the current conditions of the system instead of the old dynamics.

USSR’s Africa Policy:

The Cold War understanding within the system took care not to disrupt the existing relations with the Western Bloc, and the idea that the USSR was an alternative to the Western Bloc in the international system was seen as an important criterion by displaying a pro-Soviet attitude with the fact that the states that gained their independence in Africa, which we can see similar breakthroughs when we look at the present day, had a voting leverage in favour of the Kremlin in the voting in the United Nations system. With the 1960 Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples, Russia played an important role in the decolonisation of the colonial system. It is apparent that the Soviets, and more specifically the Moscow, recognised the importance of Africa in the construction of the multipolar system.[3] Moscow maintained that any national movement based on patriotic principles must inevitably evolve in favour of socialism.

The Kremlin leaders preferred to maintain a rather naive and simplistic view of international politics during this period. For them, it was a zero-sum game, and the West’s loss was the East’s gain. Consequently, the creation of new independent states from the former European powers was a loss for capitalism and therefore a gain for socialism.[4] This is why the independence movements in Africa developed socialism as well as nationalism. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union provided diplomatic, economic, military and educational support to the liberation movements of many African countries. Therefore, many African countries became socialist orientated (Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cape Verde, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Mozambique, Sao Tome & Principe, Seychelles-Islands, Tanzania). Russia has established, equipped and trained the armed forces and security forces of many of the above-mentioned countries. (BesenyÅ‘, 2019) This is indirectly related to the fact that Russia has not played a colonial role in its history.

The meeting of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with Third World countries, mostly African countries, at the 1955 Bandung Conference was an important factor in laying the foundations for rivalry between Russia and China, no matter how much the USSR supported the decisions. However, from the beginning of the Cold War, one of the main factors motivating Soviet policy in Africa, as in other parts of the Third World, was the endeavour to create a global balance of power for influence with the United States. Immediately following the USSR’s decision to abandon its Eurocentric policy orientation in the mid-1950s, the Soviets, from Stalin to Gorbachev, followed a steady course in seeking to expand their involvement, influence and power projection capabilities in the Third World and on the African continent.

By the end of the 1980s, the gradual deterioration of Russia’s domestic political and economic policy and the growing discontent of the population signalled the beginning of the collapse of the USSR. Economic stagnation and the failure of political reforms such as perestroika and glasnost contributed to the internal collapse of the USSR. Faced with many difficulties, Soviet Union continued to provide military and economic aid to African countries, and it continued to see Africa as an important region for its global interests. It reflected the Soviet Union’s interests in the region and its competition with the United States, but it also reflected the Soviet Union’s broader goals of promoting its power and influence on a global scale. After the collapse of the USSR, Moscow could no longer sustain the material and moral support needed to maintain its partnerships in Africa. Preoccupied with its own problems, Russia turned inward due to the civil and economic chaos in the country. Russia’s rapid withdrawal from Africa has deeply affected both Russia and African actors. Africa. As Marxist-leaning governments and movements lost their supporters, new conflicts were fuelled by arms and mercenaries from the former Soviet space.

Russia’s Africa Policy

Russia’s policy towards Africa has been shaped by a combination of strategic, economic, and geopolitical interests. Russia has strong strategic ties with a number of African countries that historically date back to the Soviet era. This includes military co-operation and the establishment of Soviet-era military bases in countries such as Angola and Mozambique. Today, Russia continues to sustain military relations with a number of African countries, including through arms sales, military training and joint military exercises.

Russia’s return to Africa has been discussed in the media and at various levels of power for two decades. However, the impetus given to Russia’s opening to the African continent by the first Russia-Africa Summit in October 2019 was a breakthrough event that made it possible to find an entry point for Russian business and Russia’s economic strategy on the continent, which today occupies a leading position in terms of economic development.[5] Russia is increasingly interested in developing economic ties with African countries, especially in the fields of energy and natural resources.

This is reflected in Russia’s participation in the development of oil and gas projects in Africa, as well as in its activities in the mining sector. In recent years, Russia has also been keen to increase its commercial ties with African countries and the establishment of the Russia-Africa Economic Forum has been an important initiative in this context.

According to Vladimir Shubin, as Russia’s trust in its foreign policy goals grows, Russia and Africa “need each other” to guarantee the security and sovereignty of Russia and Africa, where 60 per cent of the world’s natural resources are located.[6] The combination of Russia’s sovereignty over its existing energy reserves and the energy capacities of the subsequent marginal zone actors will enable Russia to gain advantages on different planes within the system. I would like to touch upon a couple of related issues: Energy and Military ties in relations with Turkey and Iran allow Russia to gain political traction in the Middle East and the Mediterranean according to the profile and capacities of the partners.

A similar situation can be observed in the relations between China and South Africa. From China’s perspective, while Russia integrates into the Belt and Road Initiative, it manages to be one of the actors that has garnered favourable votes in the system for China’s move, which has been criticised as expansionist. In Africa, Russia, which assimilates Egypt in the North and the Republic of South Africa in the South as a diplomatic harbour, takes care to increase its political and military capacity in Africa.

Russia’s engagement with Africa is also driven by its desire to project its influence and counter the influence of other global powers, particularly the United States and China. Russia has been particularly active in supporting African countries in their efforts to increase their autonomy from Western powers, such as through its support for Sudan during the Darfur conflict.

 Russia has been increasingly active in diplomatic engagement with African countries, with the opening of new embassies and consulates across the continent. Russia has also been involved in African regional organizations such as the African Union, where it has been keen to promote cooperation on issues such as peace and security.


[1] Kalika, A. (2019). Russia’s” great Return” to Africa? Institut français des relations internationales.

[2] Gürseler, C. (2020). Nikita Hruşov Döneminde SSCB ve Afrika Arasındaki İlişkiler. SBF Dergisi, 53-95.

[3] Akrhangelskaya, A., & Shubin, V. (2013). Russia’s Africa Policy. Johannesburg: SAIIA.

[4] Ogunbadejo, O. (1980). Soviet Policies in Africa. African Affairs, 297-325.

[5] Babaev, K. (2022, December 20). Prospects for Expanding Russia’s Economic Interaction With African Countries. Modern Diplomacy: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2022/12/20/prospects-for-expanding-russias-economic-interaction-with-african-countries/

[6] Giles, K. (2013). Russian Interests in Sub-Saharan Africa. Carlisle PA: U.S. Army War College Strategic Studies Institute.

Erkan Sahin
Erkan Sahin
Selcuk University, Department of International Relations. He is interested in African Politics of Non-Continental Actors, Turkish and Russian Foreign Policy, Historical Sociology in IR and Counter-Terrorism,