Africa has been caught in the middle of the geopolitical divide over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine since the beginning. Last year, many African leaders abstained from a vote to condemn Russian aggression, causing consternation among Western countries. There was an effort to push Africa into alignment with the West, but it wasn’t successful. Russian President Vladimir Putin is hosting a summit for African leaders this week, but only 16 heads of state are expected to attend, less than half of the attendees at the previous summit in 2019.
Russia’s involvement in Africa, particularly through the Wagner mercenary group, has been decisive but often destructive. While Moscow has friendly relations with major powers like Egypt and South Africa, only two African states, Eritrea and Mali, have consistently voted in favor of Russia at the United Nations. Meanwhile, 19 African states have voted with Ukraine and its allies at least once.
It’s challenging to summarize Africa’s views on the war in Ukraine as the continent is vast and diverse. Most African countries have historically been officially nonaligned, and the ongoing multipolarity has reinforced this position. Many African countries have a lingering suspicion of the West and its institutions, such as the International Criminal Court, which has targeted African leaders. European attempts to push African nations to support Ukraine have been seen as patronizing and have been met with resistance.
African nations have been dragged into the divide between Russia and the West. For example, when the International Criminal Court announced an arrest warrant for Putin, it put South Africa in an uncomfortable position as the host of an international conference. Russia’s Black Sea blockade on Ukrainian grain exports has also affected countries in the Horn of Africa, exacerbating problems of drought and rising food prices. African nations have had to deal with the fallout caused by sanctions and export controls on Moscow and its allies.
Russia has tried to build anti-Western sentiment in Africa by focusing on histories of colonialism, which resonates with the continent. However, African nations are not aligning with Russia either due to the imperial ambitions of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the military actions of groups like Wagner in African nations.
The United States and Europe have their own complex relationships with many African nations, often characterized by accusations of hypocrisy, conditions on aid, and disputes over human rights and democracy. The West needs to come up with a more persuasive argument to gain African support. Currently, African nations are not jumping in line behind the West, but it doesn’t mean they are aligning with Russia either.
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