Russia's influence in Africa grows - what does Moscow want?

Russia's influence in Africa grows - what does Moscow want?

While the Russian allied Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by rebels in Syria, another friend Moscow, President Faustin-Armen-Arangange Touadéra, was accompanied by Kremlin-close mercenaries in the conflict-loaded Central African Empire (tsar), where armed groups try to fall.

Wagner group as a protective power

"Without the protection of Wagner (a private Russian military group), he (Touadéra) could not be president at the moment," Aboubakar Siddick, spokesman for an alliance of rebel groups in the tsar, known as Coalition of Patriots for Change (CPC-F), told CNN.

siddick emphasized that the CPC-F rebels felt "inspired" by Assad's fall and added: "Touadéra’s deposition is essential."

Russia's commitment in the Zar

In a sign of how important Russia takes its relationships in Africa, Wladimir Putin met Touadéra in Moscow on Thursday - the Russian president's first international talks this year. "This is related to the fact that we expand relationships with Central Africa in all possible areas, including safety-relevant sensitive areas," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov before the meeting.

The decades of conflicts in the tsar reflect instability in other fragile African states, where the dependence on Russia's military offers is increasingly widespread. Against the background of an aggressive offensive Moscow, this situation arises to reduce western influence on the continent.

increase in anti-western moods

While Russia's influence in Africa, especially in the mineral-rich Sahel region, which is plagued by recurring coups, armed uprisings and extremist uprisings, grows, many countries report increasing anti-Western moods. Some of these are fueled by Russian propaganda and resulted in western troops from large areas.

claims for deduction of western troops

The Ivory Coast and Chad are the latest countries in a series of former French colonies in West and Central Africa, which demand the withdrawal of French and other western troops from their territory, and thus follow the example of Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso. These three countries, which are now controlled by military junta, have since contacted Russia to maintain security support.

Russian support and military presence

Moscow is also a sought-after partner of non-French former colonies such as equatorial guinea, where 200 military instructors from Russia were used in November to protect the presidency of the Central African country. President Teodoro Obiang, 82, has ruled the small, oil -rich country for 45 years after a coup in 1979.

Wagner group and their heir in the Zar

in Tsar, a former French colony, the Russian mercenaries who have been active in the country since 2018 have become a dominant force after the last French troops were deducted in 2022. At the meeting with Putin, Touadéra thanked the Russian leader for the support of his country and the help for stability.

monitoring of resources and human rights violations

The Wagner Group is often criticized for human rights violations, and reports show that their troops have summarized, tortured and beaten civilians in Zar since 2019. Martin Ziguélé, a former Prime Minister and current opposition MP from the Tsar, explained that Wagner made its payments to the government "in extremely hidden and discrete ways".

dependence on Russia

global geopolitical rivalry

The competition for influence in Africa is not limited to Russia. While the United States is largely focused on the Middle East, China has made significant progress on the continent for decades.

In an increasingly inconsistent geopolitical landscape, both Russia and China use the weaknesses of other countries. Their willingness to support autocratic regime while pushing the agenda back from western countries has made it easier for both to access resources and strategic partnerships.

conclusion: Zar's bridge to Russia

The military influence in Russia in the tsar undermines the efforts to democracy and stability in the region. If the dependence on Russian security services grows, the question of whether this partnership will benefit the Central African nations in the long term or whether it is only another form of exploitation.