Russia, China or West: Who wins the struggle for the countries of Africa?

Gregory Rih historian, teacher, researcher of recent history of Ukraine and Cold War, Doctor of Philosophy, author of the book on the history of the anti -Bolshevik bloc of peoples World diplomacy can return to the typical cold war policy, when two enemy camps are forced to fight in the third world. Lavrov's foreign ministries went to an official visit to four African countries - Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Congo.

The Kremlin propagandists immediately stated that no isolationism of the West could be achieved, because Lavrov is with constant visits, which testifies to the opposite situation - Russia is active at the diplomatic level.

Video Day, in parallel to the visit of the Russians, began his journey, French President Emmanuel Macron, who during July 25-28 visited Cameroon, Benin and Guinea-Bisau in order to establish post-colonial relations and restore the mutual belief between Paris and the African continent. Around the same time, the USAID Samantha Paveer administrator was also on her visit to Africa. Her visit concerned the fight against the product crisis on the continent.

In early August he went to the tour of Africa and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken. He visited the South African Republic, Rwanda and Congo. In addition, his office presented a new US strategy against the Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Sub -Subcarbon Strategy. Although for the US, the greatest challenge in Africa is not Russia, but China, whose economic and financial diplomacy has gained considerable commitment among the countries of the region for the last 20 years.

This revival of world diplomacy around Africa has at least two reasons. First of all, it is a sharp shortage of grain due to blocking Ukrainian Black Sea ports, and 12% of imports of the continent are in Ukraine. The Russo-Ukrainian War deepened even more and to that the painful issue of food crisis in Africa. Therefore, Lavrov immediately stepped on Egyptian land in the food crisis of Western countries and sanctions imposed on Russia.

Secondly, African countries have overwhelmingly occupied a neutral position on condemning Russian uncontrollable armed aggression against Ukraine. During the Voting at the UN General Assembly in March 2022, 48% of African Member States abstained. None of the continent countries have joined the sanction against Russia. Thus, world diplomacy can return to the typical cold war policy, when two enemy camps are forced to fight in third world countries.

The ghost of Africa colonialism has long been the object of world geopolitics. The peoples and resources of the continent were controlled by foreigners, since the Middle Ages, when the Arabs invaded here until the nineteenth century, when the continent was divided by Europeans. In the middle of the twentieth century, the colonial empires survived their own, which was the beginning of independence in African countries.

The process was very often delayed and became problematic due to the painful gap between the metropolis and the periphery, which was accompanied by armed conflicts. The former imperial forces, such as the United Kingdom, Portugal, France, with the support of the United States, tried to gain as much influence among the newly formed African states so that ancient economic ties would continue to function.

Russia is the main supplier of weapons to Africa, however, in the late 1950s, another global super-leap-the Soviet Union-appeared and increased muscles. Africa became the field of bipolar confrontation between the Cold War at a time when local anti -imperialist movements began to support the socialist camp.

Often, the Soviet model of a planned centralized economy, the redistribution of private property, with focus on the collectivization of agriculture and the development of heavy industry for post -colonial African countries seemed more attractive than the capitalist Western model. Moreover, in the late 1950s the USSR in the late 1950s, especially in the development of the space industry, in the late 1950s.

It was also important that the Soviet Union, like Russia later, was not associated with Africa's political movements with empires or colonial possessions. Unlike the United States, where a slave trade from African territories flourished in the mid -nineteenth century, and in the mid -twentieth century there were restrictions for the dark -skinned population.

Moreover, since the times of the Communist International, the USSR leadership has learned to present communism in front of the international community, as well as to help local communist parties. This practice continued in the Cold War. With the promotion of its interests among the anti -colonial movements of Africa of the USSR, it increased its support not only financially but also by military.

Nikita Khrushchev, who headed the Soviet Union after Stalin, proclaimed that anticolonial movements deserve the Soviet help. In the mid-1950s, economic and military assistance from the USSR received the Egyptian Government of Nasser, although officially the Egyptians announced their neutrality, thus starting a movement for non-joining. Later, the African Fields of the Cold War - Congo, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Ethiopia, Somalia and other countries.

Many of these conflicts have ended, neither after the unification of Germany and the democratization of Central and Eastern Europe, or after the collapse of the USSR into independent states, but continued to exist in the frozen phase, which sometimes developed into hot. Thus, the attitude of the modern governments of African states is greatly influenced by their experience of the Cold War and the perception of Europe and the US as imperial forces.

The propaganda of the USSR successfully played with these feelings, depicting the United States and allies as exploiters, capitalists, slave trade officers, whose actions are aimed at the use of natural and human resources of the continent. It is important that even today such thoughts on Western countries are stored. During the hot phase of the war in Europe, Africa was again mentioned in the context of the food crisis and the European Non -Governovo Strategy.

Experts point out that Europe and the United States only mention Africa when they need something, instead of building a consistent relationship strategy. The Russian influences after the collapse of the USSR were unable to maintain and financially support the existing links with African countries at that time. In October 2019, the Russo-African Summit in Sochi became a real watershed, which was attended by 43 heads of state.

At that time, Putin suggested that the continent leader increase the trade turnover, open access to Russian financial assistance, which, unlike the Western, did not need reforms or human rights reforms, and revive military cooperation. With the last point, everything happened well. Russia is the main supplier of weapons in Africa and according to SIPRI analytical center, 18% of Russian weapons are sold to African countries.

Russian military experts often assist African dictators, or organize government coups. Participants in many military coups in African countries were military training with Russia's support, including such data on the events in Sudan, Chad, and Guinea Basau. For example, it is known that in the beginning of January this year the Russian military group "Wagner" trained special troops of Mali. The situation is similar in neighboring Burkina-Faso, the Central African Republic.

With the beginning of a full -scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has increased its own propaganda. The population of African countries was no exception. The main message that Russia continues to defend is to create a positive image of the "defender of Africa" ​​from Western capitalists who support the so -called "Kiev regime".

Russian misinformation was most exploited by racism, especially at the beginning of the war, when a large number of foreign students from Africa tried to leave the territory of Ukraine. The propaganda services of the Russian Federation "Svitsnik" and "RT" because of their positioning, as alternative sources of information with anti -Western rhetoric, were able to gain some influence among African audiences.

The emergence of the Ukrainian strategy, Ukraine, as a country in war, will not be able to compete for the public sentiment of the population of Africa. In the case, we do not have such financial capabilities as a separate television or Internet resource that would be popular in Africa. Instead, Ukraine intensified interstate relations. In particular, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has already communicated with the leaders of African states and journalists.

In order to deepen the connection, the President also appointed a former Ambassador to Algeria Maxim Subkh by a special representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa. The first tour of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba to the countries of Sub -Sub -Akhar Africa has already been announced. Thus, Africa, which is on the periphery against the Russian-Ukrainian war, is again drawn into the world geopolitical confrontation.

Russia has intensified its contacts with African countries in trade and military cooperation before the invasion, and its misinformation campaigns are aimed at the use of anti-colonial rhetoric for obtaining as much support as possible among the states of the continent, which Russian diplomacy hopes to use in international organizations. What a neutrality regarding Russia's recognition by the aggressor or condemning its military is essentially a diplomatic victory.