JRL NEWSWATCH: “Isolated from West, Russia looks to Africa as land of opportunity” – Christian Science Monitor/ Fred Weir
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“Shunned by the West over its war in Ukraine, Russia is looking to Africa to find new international partners. And, lacking colonial history on the continent, Moscow is finding a more welcoming audience.”
“… [A] military coup in the Sahel nation of Niger, supported by crowds waving Russian flags, … [overthrew] yet another pro-Western African leader … attempting to curb France’s longtime influence in the region. Russia has returned to Africa with serious geopolitical purpose after a long post-Cold War hiatus. … [T]he war in Ukraine has increased the sense of urgency …. Still, the Kremlin seems to be facing a headwind, at least temporarily, in part because of that war. Just 17 African heads of state attended the July [Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg] presided over by [] Putin, far down from the 43 who showed up … in 2019. Some delegates expressed dismay over Russia’s renewed blockade of Ukrainian grain exports, which threatens to drive up global food prices. But Russia’s trade with Africa is growing rapidly, as are political and security cooperation … [E]vents like the coup in Niger illustrate the potential for Moscow to expand its influence at the expense of … Western powers ….”