Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was received this week in a handful of African countries, from those with big economies—South Africa and Angola—to the small kingdom of Eswatini, the last absolute monarchy in Africa, and Eritrea, one of only five countries to vote against a UN resolution in March condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This was Lavrov’s second visit to the mainland in six months. With a shrinking group of trading partners under increasing challenge from sanctions, the trip appeared to be planned as an image booster for Moscow.
“I think the real message behind Lavrov’s tour is that Russia is not as internationally isolated, perhaps, as the West thinks or would like to believe,” Russia and Africa expert John Lechner told Fox News. He said the foreign minister wanted to show that “Russia still has some friends, even after the disastrous war in Ukraine.”
Because of that disastrous war, it is unclear how much Russia can offer Africa. But Moscow’s growing influence on the continent has drawn a lot of attention recently. For example, the Russian Navy will join China and South Africa in joint exercises next month. Russia is the largest arms exporter to Africa.
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor at a press conference after talks in Johannesburg. (Reuters.)
Russia is also involved in some energy exploration projects, another effort that creates jobs for its people. Quite a few African countries have turned to Moscow and some of its most ruthless mercenaries, like the notorious Wagner group, to help prop up shaky governments. Shady deals favorable to Russia for the extraction of precious natural materials have reportedly emerged from those relations. But Lechner says the scale of Russia’s trade relations with Africa ($20 billion total) is dwarfed by that of the United States (up to $60 billion), which in turn is dwarfed by China’s (estimated at $190 billion).
China’s influence in Africa in particular is said to have prompted US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s 10-day trip to the continent to bolster her involvement. Her trip coincided with Lavrov’s. Yellen was final on the US commitment when she announced some initiatives, including helping Africa transition to renewable energy.
“The United States is totally committed to Africa and to Africa,” he said, adding: “Our commitment is not transactional and it is not for show.” Aware that some African heads of state have failed to condemn Moscow for attacking Ukraine, he noted that the conflict has direct consequences for Africa.
“Russia’s war and militarization of food have exacerbated food insecurity and caused untold suffering, and global economic headwinds caused by the actions of one man, President Putin, are creating a drag unnecessary for the economy of Africa”.
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana attend bilateral talks at the Treasury offices in Pretoria, South Africa, January 26, 2023. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko
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I asked John Lechner why some African countries are not making that connection or at least still happy to ask Russia for help and make deals with a country that is massacring tens of thousands of its neighbors.
“At the end of the day, each country has to think about its own local security priorities first. In the countries where there are Russian mercenaries, there are countries that are in conflict. I don’t think we necessarily ask the Ukrainians if they care or not.” about what’s going on in the Central African Republic or Sudan or Mali,” he says, mentioning some countries where Russia’s forces are known to be active. “So we shouldn’t necessarily expect Central Africans to think that way.”
About the lack of condemnation for the war, not only among some African countries, but in parts of the Middle East, for example, which have remained silent. Lechner says it seems to be about asserting agency and basic realpolitik.
“Russia’s intervention in Syria has turned the country into yet another power broker in the region, especially at a time when there are at least fears that the United States is going to further disengage from the Middle East with a greater focus on Asia Pacific. “.
US President Joe Biden delivers keynote remarks at a US-Africa business forum at the 2022 US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington on December 14, 2022 REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque
(REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque)
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“Russia can talk to both Iran and Israel, for example, and it is also a major oil producer. So I think maintaining those relationships and lines of communication and cooperation is important to their own interests.”
And going back to Africa, Lechner says, he may be wary of taking sides in a new Cold War. Not only that, but certain countries see the brutality of Russian Wagner fighters as the last chance to quell militias and resistance in places where more restrained Western peacekeepers have failed, so they are likely to keep Russia at least relatively close as long as it serves the interests. of those in power.
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