Russia and Africa’s Middle Powers: Influence Beyond the Wagner Group, an Update.

Date: 3 July 2024 

Time: 11:00 to 12.30 

Venue: meeting room of the Egmont Institute

The growing competitiveness of the international environment has increased the relevance of middle or regional powers. In Africa, major extra-continental powers such as Russia are actively courting the continent’s leading states, Nigeria, and South Africa, but also larger states such as Algeria, Egypt and Ethiopia. Their economic and political relevance makes these ‘Big 5’ states key stakeholders in African – and by extension global – affairs. Russia’s approach to the five states is in line with Moscow’s enduring quest for great power status and for building an anti-Western “multipolar world order”. Russia’s engagements also reflect the resilience of Russia’s foreign policy since it launched its full-scale war against Ukraine, diverting attention and resources to its war of aggression. Today, Russia’s engagements reveal that country’s enduring strengths in the continent beyond (para)military deployments as Russia’s approach to Africa’s middle powers is led by “traditional means” of commercial, diplomatic, military, and regional cooperation. Media and soft power instruments also add to Russia’s reach. For European policy makers and diplomats, this long-term, resilient presence may impose unforeseen dilemmas.

Speaker: Dr. Ivan U. Klyszcz,  Research Fellow at the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS)

Seats are limited 

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