The United States of America strongly believes Russia’s presence in Africa has been bad for the continent. Molly Phee, the United States of America’s Assistant Secretary of State for African affairs, is of the view that President Vladimir Putin’s role in Africa, through the Wagner Group, has been counterproductive.
In a recent one-on-one interview with The Africa Report following Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s recent four-nation trip to the continent, Ms Phee said: “What I’m concerned about is African stability”, when asked of her views about Wagner’s presence in Africa. “I think it’s self-evident that a Russian role, whether it’s Wagner or it has a GRU label, has not demonstrably improved the lives of Africans”.
“So, of course, it concerns us. We don’t see that their introduction and expansion into African society is good for Africans”, Ms Phee added.
On allegations that Wagner Group is using the port of Douala as a hub for its commercial operations in Africa, Ms Phee said: “We haven’t seen many positive results from Russia’s engagement, particularly the Wagner Group. They strip out the resources of the country, civilian deaths go up and the security situation doesn’t improve. So it doesn’t seem to us to be a good bet”.
“The results are self-evident. They’re fully available to the public and to government leaders. But yes, it’s a factor that we discuss: What are your security options? What’s a smarter play for your own long-term stability?”
Concerning some African countries’ reliance on Western mercenaries for their security needs and whether, indeed, the Central African Republic is looking forward to partnering with US-based Bancroft Global Development – a mercenary group – for similar purposes, she responded: “We haven’t had any involvement in the discussions between the government of the Central African Republic and any private security companies from the US. That’s something independent of our policy. I don’t know if there are licensing questions for companies like that. I think those are questions that are being explored right now”.
“In countries where governments have militaries that are not effective, where they are looking for external support, I think the question should be: Why aren’t their militaries effective? Are they sufficiently inclusive? Are they sufficiently well trained? […] If you had an armed force that reflected the complexity of the society, that would probably be more effective. But I recognise that that’s a long-term solution, and I understand that they’re looking at short-term options. We’re still looking to understand the issue [of Bancroft] better”, she noted.
Russia just in to plunder Africa’s resources?
BBC Newsnight & BBC Eye Investigations reported last month that Russia is offering governments in Africa a “regime survival package” in exchange for access to strategically important natural resources. It referred to Russian government documents which, allegedly detail how Vladimir Putin’s regime “is working to change mining laws in West Africa, with the ambition of dislodging Western companies from an area of strategic importance”. That operation, the BBC noted, is “part of the process of the Russian government to take over the businesses of the Wagner mercenary group” that got broken up after a failed coup in 2023.
The Russian “Expeditionary Corps” – the new Wagner; sort of – which is managed by the man accused of being behind the attempt to murder Sergei Skripal using the Novichok nerve agent on the streets of the UK – a charge Russia has denied – now runs these operations, the report added. Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious and suspicious plane crash last year, along with some of his top lieutenants, not long after threatening President Vladimir Putin with a coup. Wagner’s Africa operations now fall directly under the control of Russian military intelligence, the GRU, the BBC reported. It said control was to be handed to Gen Andrey Averyanov, head of Unit 29155, a secretive operation specialising in targeting killings and destabilising foreign governments.
“But it seems Gen Averyanov’s new business was not destabilising governments, but rather securing their future, as long as they paid by signing away their mineral rights”, the international news channel claimed. Wagner has a strong presence and influence on Libya, Central African Republic, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. So, while Prigozhin may be dead, the Wagner Group’s Africa operations are well alive.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, who recently withdrew from the regional bloc, Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), are currently led by military leaders who took over in coups. They are creating the Alliance of Sahel States and even intend to form a confederation government and use a common currency, the Sahel, in the future. They have strong military ties among themselves and severed relations with former colonial power France, as their links with Putin’s Russia strengthen each day.
The BBC says the cost of Russia’s Africa operations is covered by giving out mining concessions to Putin’s administration. Russia has extracted $2.5bn (£2bn) worth of gold from Africa in the past two years, which is likely to have helped fund its war in Ukraine, according to the Blood Gold Report. According to the report, in February 2024, Russian fighters – formerly Wagner mercenaries – took control of Mali’s Intahaka gold mine, close to the border with Burkina Faso. The artisanal mine, the largest in northern Mali, had been disputed for many years by various armed groups active in the region. “In Mali, the mining code was recently re-written to give the junta greater control over natural resources. That process has already seen an Australian lithium mine suspend trading on its shares, citing uncertainty over the implementation of the code”, the report indicated. The Russians are also for concessions in Niger that would strip French access to the uranium mines in the country.
The report warns that should Russia manage to gain control of West Africa’s uranium mines, Europe could be left exposed once again to what has often been called Russian “energy blackmail”. It pointed out that France is more dependent on nuclear power than any other country in the world, with 56 reactors producing almost two-thirds of the country’s energy, noting that about a fifth of its uranium is imported from Niger.
Africa’s God-given wealth
According to the UN Environment Programme, Africa is rich in natural resources ranging from arable land, water, oil, natural gas, minerals, forests and wildlife. The continent holds a huge proportion of the world’s natural resources, both renewables and non-renewables. It says Africa is home to some 30 per cent of the world’s mineral reserves, eight per cent of the world’s natural Gas and 12 per cent of the world’s oil reserves. Additionally, the continent has 40 per cent of the world’s gold and up to 90 per cent of its chromium and platinum. The largest reserves of cobalt, diamonds, platinum and uranium in the world are in Africa. Also, the continent holds vast amounts of copper, bauxite, lithium, uranium, manganese, timber, graphite, and several more. Africa accounts for 70% of the global reserves of platinum, 52% of cobalt, and 48% of manganese. The Democratic Republic of Congo alone accounts for 70% of global supplies of cobalt. However, China accounts for a high percentage of refining of the strategic minerals: cobalt (73%), nickel (68%), lithium (59%) and copper (40%).
The continent holds 65 per cent of the world’s arable land and 10 per cent of the planet’s internal renewable freshwater source. It has the largest sources of solar resource potential in the world, as the globe transitions to renewables. The renewable energy revolution will depend on these critical metals for the manufacturing of wind turbines, solar panels, battery energy storage systems, and electric vehicles. There will be so much money to make, as the size of the electric vehicles market is estimated to rise from $7 trillion currently to $57 trillion by 2050, with projections showing a 500% increase in demand for cobalt, graphite and lithium in the next two years.
The continent is home to over 1.4 billion people. That is a huge market to ignore. And Africa seems to be where the action is now. The US, Europe, and China are all scrambling for a foothold on the continent, so, why not Russia, which already has historic ties with the continent?
In most African countries, natural capital accounts for between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of total wealth. Over 70 per cent of people living in sub-Saharan Africa depend on forests and woodlands for their livelihoods. Land is an economic development asset as well as a socio-cultural resource. A significant share of these resources is, however, used unsustainably while others are lost through illegal activities, meaning that the stream of benefits generated from these resources is being reduced over time. For instance, Africa loses an estimated USD 195 billion annually of its natural capital through illicit financial flows, illegal mining, illegal logging, the illegal trade in wildlife, unregulated fishing and environmental degradation and loss.
Putin’s reasons for renewing and strengthening ties with Africa
“Russia’s attention to Africa is steadily growing,” Putin said in July 2023 at the end of the second Russia-Africa Summit in St Petersburg, at which the two parties agreed to promote a multipolar world order and fight “neo-colonialism”. Russia’s strongman also mentioned the “joint determination to counter neo-colonialism, the practice of applying illegitimate sanctions and attempts to undermine traditional moral values”. There were representatives of 49 African countries, including 17 heads of state, who attended the summit. Among them were the Republic of the Congo’s Denis Sassou Nguesso, Senegal’s Macky Sall, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Central African Republic’s Faustin Archange Touadera and Mali’s Assimi Goïta.
Russia’s overtures to Africa are not new. For years, the Kremlin has openly engaged, diplomatically and economically with the continent. It has also offered security services in the form of the Wagner mercenary army to African governments to fend off armed groups. But it now appears Putin is trying to take the relationship with Africa to a higher level. At the summit, Mr Putin reiterated that Russia would “continue to supply African friends with grain crops both on a contractual basis and free of charge”. Of course, Burkina Faso was one of the beneficiaries along with Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, Central African Republic, Eritrea. They were to receive between 25,000 and 50,000 tonnes of grain ‘free of charge, the Russian president announced. “We will be ready in the coming months, in the next three to four months, to provide Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, Mali, Somalia, the Central African Republic, and Eritrea with 25,000-50,000 tonnes of grain free of charge. We will also provide free delivery of this product to consumers,” Putin said during his opening speech at the Russia-Africa Summit in St. Petersburg. Putin analysed that there is a “paradoxical picture” emerging where Western countries are obstructing the supply of Russian grain and fertilisers, while also “hypocritically” accusing Moscow of the “current crisis in the world food market.”
“This approach was especially evident in the implementation of the so-called grain deal, which was concluded with the participation of the UN Secretariat and was originally aimed at ensuring global food security, reducing the threat of hunger and helping the poorest countries, including in Africa,” Putin said.
Furthermore, Mr Putin mentioned that a total of 32.8 million tonnes of cargo was exported from Ukraine as part of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, adding that more than 70% of grain exported went to high- and upper-middle-income countries. He also said that the share of countries such as Ethiopia, Sudan, and Somalia accounted for less than 3% of the total, which he said amounted to less than 1 million tons of grain. “None of the terms of the deal regarding the withdrawal from the sanctions of Russian exports of grain and fertilisers to world markets was fulfilled. None. Obstacles were also raised for the gratuitous transfer of mineral fertilisers by us to the poorest countries in need,” he added.
Mr Putin asserted the significant role Russia plays in terms of grain contribution to global food security by having a 20% share in the global wheat market. Any doubts about that fact, he insisted, are simply distortions and lies. “This has been the practice of some Western states for decades if not centuries.”
Russia, Putin added, was ready to help Africa become a net exporter of food. “For its part, Russia is ready to share its expertise in the field of agricultural production with African countries and to assist in the introduction of the most advanced technologies,” he said.
On energy, Putin expressed a desire for cooperation with African countries. “This cooperation is based on rich experience: over many years, Soviet and Russian specialists have designed and built large energy centres in Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia and other countries of the continent with a total capacity of 4.6 gigawatts, … a quarter of Africa’s hydropower capacity,” he said. Also, he underscored that Russian companies are implementing new mutually beneficial projects aimed at “meeting the growing needs of the African economies for fuel and generating capacity, to provide Africans with access to affordable and reliable, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources. “In that department, Putin said there are more than 30 energy projects with Russian participation in 16 different African countries in varying degrees of development. As well, Putin announced that the leaders had agreed to improve cooperation on aid and trade, including by “consistently switching to national currencies for commercial transactions”. Putin also pledged to forgive Africa’s debts.
These are pretty mouth-watering offers from the Russian leader. But is Putin going through all that trouble just to find allies in Africa, and for what; or are his gifts a Trojan horse?
A few days before the summit, Mr Putin wrote the following article: “Russia and Africa: Joining Efforts for Peace, Progress and a Successful Future” which was published by the Kremlin on his official website, ‘President of Russia’. In it, the Russian leader spelt out his vision for his country’s relationship with Africa.
He said the partnership and relationship between Russia and Africa “have strong, deep roots and have always been distinguished by stability, trust and goodwill”, noting: “We have consistently supported African peoples in their struggle for liberation from colonial oppression”. Also, Putin mentioned: “We have provided assistance in developing statehood, strengthening their sovereignty and defence capability”.
“Much”, he added, “has been done to create sustainable foundations for national economies”, recalling: “By the mid-1980s, with the participation of our specialists, over 330 large infrastructure and industrial facilities have been built in Africa, such as power plants, irrigation systems, industrial and agricultural enterprises, which are successfully operating to this day, and continue to make a significant contribution to the continent’s economic development”. Additionally, Mr Putin indicated that: “Tens of thousands of African doctors, technical specialists, engineers, officers and teachers have received education in Russia”.
“I would like to specifically mention the traditionally close cooperation on the world stage, the firm and consistent advocacy rendered by the USSR and then Russia to African countries at international fora. We have always strictly adhered to the ‘African solutions to African problems’ principle, standing in solidarity with Africans in their struggle for self-determination, justice and their legitimate rights”, the Russian leader pointed out.
Differentiating his country’s relationship with Africa from that of the West, the Russian leader noted: “We have never tried to impose on partners, our own ideas about the internal structure, forms and methods of management, development goals and ways to achieve them. Unchanged remains our respect for the sovereignty of African states, their traditions and values, their desire to independently determine their own destiny and freely build relationships with partners”.
He said: “We highly value the honestly-gained capital of friendship and cooperation, traditions of trust and mutual support that Russia and African countries share. We are brought together by a common desire to shape a system of relations based on the priority of international law, respect for national interests, indivisibility of security, and recognition of the central coordinating role of the United Nations”.
Currently, Mr Putin stressed, “the constructive, trustful, forward-looking partnership between Russia and Africa is especially significant and important”, explaining: “Major centres of economic and political power and influence are emerging in the world, which are asserting themselves more and more insistently, demanding that they be reckoned with. We are sure that a new multipolar world order, the contours of which are already seen, will be more just and democratic. And there is no doubt that Africa, along with Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, will take its worthy place in it and finally free itself from the bitter legacy of colonialism and neo-colonialism, rejecting its modern practices”.
Russia, Mr Putin indicated, “welcomes the rising international authority of individual states as well as Africa as a whole, their desire to make their voices strongly heard and to take the continent’s problems into their own hands. We have always supported the constructive initiatives of our partners. We stand for granting African countries their rightful place in the structures that determine the world’s fate, including the UN Security Council and the G20, as well as for reforming the global financial and trade institutions in a way that meets their interests”.
Regrettably, Mr Putin acknowledged, “We see that the situation in the world today is far from stable. The long-standing conflicts that exist in nearly every region are deepening, and new threats and challenges are emerging. And Africa feels the burden of global challenges like no other part of the world. In such a challenging environment, we look forward to working with our African partners to shape a non-discriminatory agenda for cooperation”.
“The strategic areas of our interaction are set by the decisions of the first Russia-Africa Summit held in Sochi in late October 2019. The Russia-Africa Partnership Forum was established for their effective implementation. We have set up bilateral intergovernmental commissions for trade, economic, scientific and technological cooperation with many countries of the continent, and the network of Russian embassies and trade missions in Africa will be expanded. Further instruments are being actively developed to better structure economic relations and make them more dynamic”, Mr Putin highlighted.
He emphasised, “with satisfaction” that Russia’s trade turnover with the African countries increased in 2022 and reached almost 18 billion US dollars. However, he added, “We are all well aware that the potential of our trade and economic partnership is much higher. Russian companies are interested in working more actively on the continent in the sphere of high technologies and geological exploration, in the fuel and energy complex, including nuclear power, in the chemical industry, mining and transport engineering, agriculture and fishery. The changes taking place in the world require the search for solutions related to the establishment of new transport and logistical chains, the formation of a monetary and financial system, and mechanisms of mutual settlements that are safe and free from unfavourable external impacts”.
According to Mr Putin, Russia understands “the importance of uninterrupted food supplies for the socio-economic development and political stability of the African states”. On this basis, he said Russia has “always paid great attention to issues related to the supply of wheat, barley, maize and other crops to African countries. We have done so both on a contractual basis and free of charge as humanitarian aid, including through the United Nations Food Programme. Thus, in 2022, Russia exported 11.5 million tonnes of grain to Africa, and almost 10 million tonnes more were delivered in the first half of 2023 – despite the sanctions imposed on our exports, which severely hamper the supply of Russian food products to developing countries, complicating transport logistics, insurance arrangements and bank payments”.
“Many have probably heard of the so-called ‘grain deal’, whose initial purpose was to ensure global food security, reduce the threat of hunger and help the poorest countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America – the reason why Russia undertook the obligation to facilitate its implementation in the first place. This ‘deal’, however, while it was publicly advertised by the West as a gesture of goodwill that benefited Africa, has, in fact, been shamelessly used solely for the enrichment of large US and European businesses that exported and resold grain from Ukraine”, Mr Putin said.
Demonstrating the unjust nature of the deal, Mr Putin crunched up some numbers, exclaiming: “Judge for yourselves: in almost a year, a total of 32.8 million tonnes of supplies were exported from Ukraine under the ‘deal’, with over 70 per cent of the exports ending up in high- and upper-middle-income countries, including in the European Union, whereas such countries as Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, as well as Yemen and Afghanistan, received less than 3 per cent of the supplies, i.e. less than one million tonnes”.
In the meantime, he complained, “none of the ‘deal’ provisions relating to the exemption from sanctions of Russian grain and fertiliser exports to world markets, were fulfilled. Moreover, barriers have been mounted even to our attempts to supply free-of-charge mineral fertilisers to the poorest countries in need. Of 262,000 tonnes of goods blocked in European ports, only two shipments were delivered – one of 20,000 tonnes to Malawi and one of 34,000 tonnes to Kenya. The rest is still unscrupulously held by the Europeans. And this is a purely humanitarian initiative we are talking about, which should be exempt from any sanctions as such”.
In his view, “Considering all these facts, there is no longer any use in continuing the ‘grain deal’ as it has failed to serve its original humanitarian purpose. We argued against further extending the ‘deal’, which terminated as of July 18”.
“I want to give assurances that our country is capable of replacing the Ukrainian grain both on a commercial and free-of-charge basis, especially as we expect another record harvest this year”, Mr Putin projected.
Notwithstanding the sanctions, Mr Putin promised that “Russia will continue its energetic efforts to provide supplies of grain, food products, fertilisers and other goods to Africa. We highly value and will further develop the full spectrum of economic ties with Africa – with individual states as well as regional integration associations and, naturally, with the African Union. We welcome this organisation’s strategic course towards further economic integration and the formation of the African Continental Free Trade Area. We are ready to build pragmatic, mutually beneficial relations, including within the framework of the Eurasian Economic Union. We are also willing to step up cooperation with other regional integration organisations on the continent”.
In keeping with the existing tradition, he hinted at Russia’s intent “to continue providing assistance to African states in building their national human resource capacity”, saying: “There are currently about 35 thousand students from the continent in Russia, more than 6,000 of them receive Russian government scholarships. Each year we increase the number of scholarships, promote paid higher education options and facilitate inter-university ties, which have gained significant momentum in recent times”.
To Putin, “bringing humanitarian, cultural, sports, and mass media cooperation to a whole new level would serve our common interests. I would like to seize this opportunity to invite our young African friends to the World Youth Festival, which will take place in Sochi, Russia, in March 2024. This large-scale international forum will bring together more than 20,000 participants from more than 180 countries for an informal, friendly and open dialogue that is free from ideological and political barriers; and racial and religious prejudice; and would consolidate the young generation around the ideals of lasting and durable peace, prosperity and creative spirit”.
Mr Putin concluded: “We are working to prepare an impressive package of intergovernmental and inter-agency agreements and memoranda with individual states as well as regional associations of the continent”, and “I firmly believe that the decisions adopted at the Summit and Forum, coupled with continuous diversified joint work will contribute to further development of Russian African strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples”.
What Africa risks with Putin’s Russia Russia may be just using Africa to spite the West. Moscow’s ties with the continent may not be altruistic. Putin possibly has an ulterior motive – to fight a proxy geopolitical war against Western democracies and their business interests in Africa. By strangulating or annihilating Western business in Africa, Russia would’ve succeeded in emasculating his democratic rivals with whom he spars on other international concerns. Being able to manipulate African leaders against the West could give Russia some leverage and bargaining power on issues that could require African influence and involvement. For that to materialise, Putin needs to weave his way intricately into African governments and affairs. Eventually, Russia risks becoming another neo-colonialist power that would puppet African leaders at Moscow’s whims. As the military shield for undemocratic African governments like Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger – through the rebranded Wagner Group – leaders who fallout with Moscow would be goners. Russia would then persist in those countries as regime changers, whose actions and interventions would only inure to its business bottom lines and geopolitical benefits. African, then, would be a mere means to an end for Putin’s Russia. Interestingly, some African leaders are playing an active part in aiding Moscow to weave into their affairs. Russia’s bait has been wheat and military protection. But are the inherent risks of this Russia-Africa liaison worth wheat and military protection for an elite few who are already oppressing their people with authoritarian decrees? And if mining concessions are, indeed, being offered to Wagner to cover its operational cost and also generate revenue for the Kremlin, what impact would those deals have on the economies of Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Central African Republic, for example? Are they selling away the birth rights and heritage of generations unborn for wheat and army protection?
