Russia-Africa News Monitor #4 – 11-17 Nov 24
What are Russian companies doing in Africa, what did Bogdanov say about Musk, and is Rosgeologia doing in Djibouti?
11-17 November 2024
Political relations
Russian power creeps across West Africa with Equatorial Guinea mission, Reuters, 12 November.
South Africa’s Helen Zille: ‘Where Russia is involved, it’s about payback for the ANC’, The Africa Report, 12 November.
Russia to open embassies in several African countries — MFA, TASS, 13 November.
Egypt, Russia stress necessity for immediate cease-fire in Gaza, Lebanon, AA, 15 November.
Коллеги сообщили об освобождении социолога Шугалея в Чаде, RBK, 16 November.
Security and defence
Russian power creeps across West Africa with Equatorial Guinea mission, Reuters, 12 November.
Malian, Russian Forces Return to Tinzawaten After Brutal Defeat, ADF, 12 November.
«Рособоронэкспорт» сообщил об интересе 10 стран к подавителю «роя» дронов, RBK, 15 November.
Economic relations
Maghreb: la Russie veut établir une zone de libre-échange avec un pays, La nouvelle tribune, 11 November.
Agricultural products trade between Russia, African countries up by 7.5% in Jan-Sept 2024 - Russian Agriculture Ministry, Interfax, 11 November.
Russia proposes resource alliances in subsoil use to Africa- Russian natural resources minister, Interfax, 11 November.
Ethio-Russia Business Forum Opens in Addis Ababa, Paving Way for Strategic Economic Cooperation, ENA, 12 November.
EU wheat exports shift westwards as Russian trade spreads, Reuters, 13 November.
Niger embraces Russia for uranium production leaving France out in the cold, RFI, 13 November.
Ethiopia, Russia sign MoU to collaborate on climate change initiatives, FanaBc, 14 November.
Djibouti/Russie : Pourquoi Ismaïl Omar Guelleh dissimule-t-il les explorations minières des sociétés russes à Djibouti ?, HCH24, 16 November.
FIMI/media
Côte d’Ivoire : la communauté libanaise, cible de la désinformation des activistes pro-juntes sahéliennes, Le Monde, 11 November.
How West Africa is fighting disinformation, DW, 11 November.
En Afrique, les Maisons russes, nouvel outil du soft power de Moscou, Jeune Afrique, 12 November. (Paywall)
Elon Musk should focus on Africa’s prosperity — senior diplomat, TASS, 13 November.
Putin attempts whitewashing Russian atrocities in Africa, VoA, 14 November.
How Telegram, TikTok aided Russian disinformation that led to incarceration of Nigerian minors, Premium Times, 14 November.
Журналисты «АИ» подарили 40 подарков больным детям из Экваториальной Гвинеи, Afrinz, 14 November.
Embassy watch
Ethiopia's Pursuit for Sea Access Must be Settled in Spirit of Neighborliness: Russian Amb., ENA, 13 November.
Inside Russia
Russia says African, ex-Soviet countries interested in its mpox vaccine, Reuters, 13 November.
Россия обрела нового военного союзника в Африке: маленькая страна с огромным потенциалом, MK RU, 13 November.
Россия примет первый форум БРИКС по укреплению традиционных ценностей, TV BRICS, 17 November.
Russia-Ukraine-Africa
ECOWAS official repeats Russian 'genocide' rhetoric, Ukraine calls for condemnation, RBC, 13 November.
FM in South Africa: We can help bring deported Ukrainian children home together, ERR, 13 November.
В Совфеде рассказали о попытке Украины противостоять России в Африке и Сирии, Izvestia, 14 November.
China-Russia-Africa
Russland, China und Katar verbreiten Fake News in Afrika, DW, 11 November.
African states making Russia/China deals has “implications”, Al-Jazeera, 17 November.
Recent publications, analysis, scholarship
Bishai, Burchard, Daly (2024), Russia’s Selling, But Who’s Buying? Analyzing the Characteristics of PMC Clients in Africa, Small Wars Journal Research Notes, 14 November.
Ivan’s comment
In past Russia-Africa News Monitors, the section with the most links tends to be the economic engagements. As noted in my comments, when it comes to economic relations with Africa, Russia promises a lot and delivers little. But this week featured two stories that should give us pause before dismissing Russian companies in Africa. First, as Reuters reports, EU farming has outright lost terrain across northern Africa – a traditional buyer – to Russian producers. Second, French uranium miners in Niger – traditional partners of the country in the sector, together with the US – appear to have lost their positions, too. Of course, the Niger case reflects the foreign policy of the junta and its pro-Russia leanings, but the outcome is the same: lost ground. As I recommended policymakers in early 2023, we must think of Russia's global foreign policy in terms of competition, including commercial competition. Waving around the figures of collective GDP of the EU or NATO means little in this context where markets are lost and key commodities are corralled by Moscow.
As it is customary, Russian diplomacy claims that the nefarious West is out to stop Russia from meeting with its African partners. That claim has been made several times, most recently this past week by the Russian presidential envoy to the Middle East and Africa, Mikhail Bogdanov. Utterances such as these must be interpreted as Moscow attempting to manipulate the information space in Africa and the West, so, we should look at it as a case of FIMI. The same applies to the Izvestia article included above, where a Russian legislator attempted to tar Ukraine's name in Africa by accusing Kyiv of supporting terrorism.
Finally, long-time Djiboutian activist Hassan Cher Hared makes the claim that Rosgeologia is covertly operating in Djibouti, carrying out survey explorations for potential mineral deposits (link above). According to Cher Hared, the Djiboutian authorities are keeping quiet about this cooperation not to upset their Western partners. (France's largest post abroad and the only US base in Africa are located in Djibouti.) In the past, Russia carried out intelligence work abroad under the cover of geological expeditions and other geological surveying, so the claim of this covert operation deserves attention, though with cautious scepticism until new information surfaces.