On 27-28 July 2023, St. At the Russia-Africa Summit held in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin announced that they will ship 25-50 thousand tons of grain free of charge to 6 African countries (Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic and Eritrea). Considering that this situation occurred after Russia’s refusal to extend the Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement, it can be said that it was Russia’s move to draw African countries to its side in its conflict with the West.
The agreement, signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022 with the initiative of Turkey and the United Nations, was seen as an effort to heal the global food crisis that grew with the Russia-Ukraine War. On July 17, 2023, Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitri Peskov said that the agreement would not be extended, and the reason was that the West did not comply with the terms of the agreement.[1] According to Peskov; Certain export bans applied to Russia and its removal from the SWIFT system were basic principles that the West violated in the context of the agreement. The importance of Russia’s own lands and the Crimean Peninsula and Donetsk-Luhansk basins, which it currently controls in Ukraine, for world agriculture has been voiced by experts since the war began. Recently, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitri Kuleba said in a statement that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could persuade Russia to return to the Black Sea Grain Corridor Agreement. President Erdogan also announced that he supports Russia’s grain promise to Africa.[2]
The African Continent has constantly faced internal turmoil, economic instability and coups d’etat after the period of decolonization. Although African countries mostly joined the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War and moved towards establishing a policy of balance within the bipolar world politics, African countries were seen by the Nordic countries as potential areas of contention or medium-term partners. Today, Russia’s efforts to get closer with African countries can be read within the framework of Moscow’s search for an ally in its conflict with the West. The West’s moves to squeeze Russia economically pushed Russia to consolidate the idea of Eurasianism. Russia’s move to expand the anti-Western bloc by getting closer to African countries in parallel with its increasing trade with China and its ever-advancing relations with BRICS countries can be considered as Putin’s move to strengthen his hand in the Ukraine War.
The coup that took place in Niger during the dates of July 27-28, 2023, when the Russia-Africa Summit was being held in St. Petersburg, has highlighted the prospective role of Africa in the ongoing Russia-West rivalry. Niger, which gained independence from France in 1960, is one of the world’s significant suppliers of Uranium. For instance, Niger is France’s third most important uranium supplier and ranks seventh globally in uranium supply.[3] The coup in Niger carried out by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Nation under the leadership of General Abdurrahman Tiani has been condemned by countries such as the United States, France, and Germany, while it has been praised by the Russian Wagner Group. To the extent that civilians supportive of the coup demonstrated in Niamey, the capital of Niger, marching to the French Embassy with Russian flags and chanting “long live Putin” slogans. The new junta claims that France is preparing for a military intervention, while a solidarity-driven resistance has been promised against a potential Western-backed military intervention from Mali and Burkina Faso.
Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a supporter of the West, has announced sanctions against the junta government and stated that if Deposed President Mohamed Bazum is not released within one week, a military intervention will be carried out. Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also mentioned their solidarity with ECOWAS leaders, stating that “the EU will swiftly and decisively support all measures taken by ECOWAS in response to the coup.”[4] Borrell, however, has denied the accusation of external intervention.
While the Russian Federation has not officially recognized the junta in Niger, it has cautioned Western countries and ECOWAS against military intervention. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that a potential intervention could lead to a protracted conflict in the region and an unstable environment.[5] The effort to consolidate Africa in Russian foreign policy dates back to the past. The Soviet Union, following the process of decolonization after World War II, consistently emphasized that the West was “racist and colonialist” in order to increase its influence in the region. Building on this perspective, Russia’s attempts to establish a foothold in Africa and its manner of doing so are not new in terms of Russian politics. For Russia, which consistently threatens the West with critical commodities like natural gas in the energy sector, the occurrence of problems in Western uranium supply presents a significant opportunity.
Following the coup, the junta in Niger canceled all military agreements with France and reached an agreement for the entry of Wagner private military contractors into the country. Since its establishment, Wagner has indeed contributed to Russia’s economic, political, and military influence in the Middle East and Africa. The Wagner group previously operated under the directives of the Russian state in internal conflicts in Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic. They also played significant roles in points like the Mariupol and Bahmut Battles during the Ukraine War.
During the Wagner uprising that began on June 23, 2023, and ended the following day, confusion arose. Due to the unclear internal structure of the group and its formal relationship with the Russian state, both sides provided different explanations for the motivation behind the start and end of the uprising. In a general sense, it can be said that a power and authority struggle took place between Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu, and that this rivalry turned into a kind of administrative crisis due to the morale decline on the Russian side as the Ukraine War stalled. While negotiations that followed Prigozhin’s ending of the uprising were not conducted transparently, observing Wagner’s continued efforts in West Africa aligned with Russian interests remains significant for Russian politics.
At this very point, Russia’s move towards Africa can be seen not only as a strategic move against the West but also as an attempt to address the internal disagreements, administrative confusion, and morale issues arising from the Ukraine War. Wagner potentially fighting a proxy war in West Africa in the event of a conflict aligns with Russian interests, which means Russia is simultaneously consolidating the bloc it’s trying to build against the West.
Russia’s approach to Africa holds significance not only for its foreign policy but also for its domestic policy. Establishing military and economic ties with African countries, which are important suppliers of raw materials that matter to the West, in response to the economic pressures from the West, can lead to Russia gaining allies in its foreign policy efforts and also potentially increasing its soft power through the propaganda of these motivations.
[1] “Rusya Tahıl Koridoru Anlaşmasını Sonlandırdı”, Dünya Gündemi, https://shorturl.at/cgrBM, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.08.2023)
[2] “Ukrayna: Erdoğan, Karadeniz Tahıl Koridoru Anlaşması’nın Yeniden Başlamasını Sağlayabilir”, NTV, https://www.ntv.com.tr/dunya/ukrayna-erdogan-karadeniz-tahil-koridoru-anlasmasinin-yeniden-baslamasini-saglayabilir,bTFtEPCb402QmGrB0Y8rnw, (Erişim Tarihi: 11.08.2023).
[3] “Dünyanın En Önemli Uranyum Tedarikçisi: Nijer”, AA, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/dunyanin-en-onemli-uranyum-tedarikcisi-nijer/2958889, (Erişim Tarihi: 12.08.2023).
[4] “AB’den Nijer’e askeri müdahale uyarısı yapan ECOWAS’a destek”, AA, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/abden-nijere-askeri-mudahale-uyarisi-yapan-ecowasa-destek/2958338, (Erişim Tarihi: 12.08.2023).
[5] “Nijer’de Darbe: Rusya, Batı Afrika Liderlerini Askeri Müdahalede Bulunmama Yönünde Uyardı”, BCC, https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/c3ge439wd93o, (Erişim Tarihi: 12.08.2023).
