Opening of ten embassies, intervention of special forces in Sudan, economic and military partnerships: Ukraine is trying to make up for the considerable delay it has fallen behind its Russian enemy on the African continent. Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, is becoming an important issue as kyiv realizes that resistance to the Russian invasion is a long-term issue.
“The political influence of the countries of the continent is increasing: more than fifty states are members of the United Nations. The African Union is a candidate for membership of the Security Council and is already a member of the G20 », underlines Maksym Soubkh, special representative of Ukraine for the Middle East and Africa. The trigger for Ukrainian awareness was the vote on March 2 at the UN General Assembly, during which only twenty-eight of the fifty-four African countries condemned the Russian invasion. A cold shower.
“We believed that the invasion of sovereign territory and the extremely serious violations of international laws committed by the Russian army would automatically put countries on our side. We underestimated how strong Russian influence was on the African continent”explains Alexander Khara, specialist in international relations at the Center for Defense Strategies, a think tank based in kyiv. “To win the war, Ukraine must influence the new centers of influence and growth in Africa”he insists.
“Russia spends millions to spread anti-Ukrainian and anti-Western propaganda and narratives in African countries”observes, for his part, the diplomat Maksym Soubkh. “In addition to its embassies, Russia has a large network of information agencies, propaganda, funding of local media, and cultural influence throughout the continent, notably through Rossotrudnitchestvo [sorte d’équivalent russe des Alliances françaises] “. At the end of July, in St. Petersburg, Russia organized a Russia-Africa summit for the second time, where forty-five of the fifty-four African countries sent delegations.
Ukrainian special forces in action in Sudan
Mr. Khara admits, in this context, a certain “skepticism about Ukraine’s ability to compete with Russia”on this continent. “Our financing capacities are beyond measure. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have the means to develop such a diplomatic network, nor as many media relays. »
You have 60% of this article left to read. The rest is reserved for subscribers.