protesters waving russian flags in the capital city of Niamey Nigerwhile they sing anti-colonial slogans and they are throwing stones at the building of the French diplomatic mission in the country. cries “Down with France!” they confuse with applause for vladimir putin Among the supporters of the military junta that seized power in a coup Mohammed Bazum On July 26 in this Sahel country. The image is striking, but not new. Africa it’s been far European Union, resentful of colonial pastand opens his horizons to new alliances.
The Nigerian military uprising underlined a trend that has been going on in Africa for nearly a decade. In 2014, just one year after its establishment, wagner group landed Libyain the midst of armed conflict, influenced by the permeability of the region and the increased opportunities to establish a relationship of influence that can be exported to other countries in the region. ” mercenariesa non-state actor. Their interventions always follow the same logic: Build ties with political leaders who hold power or will fight for power. instability without being formally linked to the Kremlin to gain a position of influence,” he explains. Eduardo Saldana, assistant director of The World Order. This was the case in the beginning Libya, Central African Republic or Congo. Years later, the opportunity arose beach.
The Nigerian military junta, now in power after overthrowing and retaining Bazoum, was quickly endorsed by the newly formed junta. military governments of Burkina Faso and Mali, Two neighboring countries in the region. In either case, Russia has increasing power at the expense of French influence, which is increasingly viewed as worse and more strongly rejected. And after separate coups in 2021 and 2022, the juntas of Bamako and Ouagadougou set their sights on Russia after forcing European troops to withdraw from their lands. In recent years, both governments have opted for it. open your doors to Wagner’s Russian mercenaries Dealing with distrust rather than continuing to rely on the support of France or other Western armies that they still associate with the colonial era. According to Ameer Chughtai, a security and peacekeeping expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, the EU should change the chip to: Bet on “move away from peace enforcement operations” and “local dialogue”.
Russian influence networks
“Wagner is one of a kind in Mali and Burkina Faso. protection group for militia leaders or coup leaders and they get their influence from here. As soon as the coups took place, Wagner entered the country,” says Saldaña. Armed wing of the Kremlin after the last uprising Evgeny Prigozhin and Vladimir Putin’s threats to supporters of his uprising. “Wagner’s role is different. Ukraine Than the Sahel. The Russian Army is also involved in Ukraine and not in Africa. In Africa, Russia needs informal actors that allow it to expand its networks of influence without a clear presence to require explanation,” says Saldaña.
These networks are strengthening in West Africa, where the Russian narrative is well received. It is a porous region where the state has blatantly disappeared, and many are failing states where the power vacuum opens up huge opportunities for third parties like Wagner who offer their services to governments or local leaders. “For Russia, this region is a double win. It’s easy to enter because they openly reject the West, but it’s an important region for European countries,” says Saldaña. “The emergence of Russian flags, on the one hand, Evil approach of European countries to their former coloniesSuch as the disinformation and propaganda campaigns of France, which has maintained an economic and cultural domination system from the 1960s to the present, and Russia, which is shown to be carried out through channels such as Russia Today. or Sputnik,” he adds. The sharp rise in criticism of France from former African colonies stems from a sense that colonial practices and patriarchal attitudes never really ended and continue to be reflected in the politics of French la Françafrique today, as are the demonstrations and protests against it.
new alliances
In this scenario, Russia is not the only actor to break into the geopolitical table. forces like United States, Türkiye or United Arab Emirates They saw their presence in the region strengthened as Europe weakened. Turkey is one of the best examples of how to enter the region with alternative policies that combine soft power and hard power elements. According to the Security Studies Institute, Ankara is making a name for itself in Africa. security support policies and fighting extremism and working with organizations such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development.
In the case of UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Their presence in Africa is better accepted by the countries themselves than Europeans because they are viewed as very different actors, given their backgrounds. The United States does not bear the weight of being a colonial power and this supports relations with Africa. Also, after years of neglect, Joe Biden Management It has demonstrated its willingness to expand its activities in Africa. in terms of security and cooperation. According to the think tank Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, One of the main motivations for Americans is, Africa’s importance to global priorities, such as the continent’s rapidly growing population, one of the world’s largest trading blocs, significant natural resources and a high level of economic development.
The growing presence of the United States and Russia seems to be happening in some sort of harmony for now. “I don’t think we will have a proxy war like the one in Ukraine”Saldaña rejects the possibility of a developing cold war scenario in the Sahel. “Both powers will prefer stability to strengthen their interests in other ways,” he concludes.