GEOPOLITICAL SECURITY CONCERNS: A CATALYST FOR RUSSIA’S REENGAGEMENT OF AFRICA IN RELATIONS – International Journal of Social Sciences and Management Review

GEOPOLITICAL SECURITY CONCERNS: A CATALYST FOR RUSSIA’S REENGAGEMENT OF AFRICA IN RELATIONS

Authors: Matthew T. Taiwo & Akin Ademuyiwa

ABSTRACT

Russia, also in the garb of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, had a record of a long-standing relations with Africa, the relationship that incidentally took a cold turn at the instance of the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, as Russia prioritized stabilizing its domestic issues as the successor of the Soviet’s legacy. The emergence of the 21st century came with the post-Cold War security threat to Russian geopolitical space especially from its cold war rivals and hostile bordering states thus, prompting the conscientious efforts by Russia to review its foreign policy towards African alignment. The new Russia-Africa relations have generated a lot of interest by researchers, who have addressed the issue from a wide range of views, some of which included political, ideology, technical and economic. Cognizant of the geopolitical security concerns, which is observed as the primary basis for its new African relations, this research aims to examine Russian reengagement of Africa in relations adopting geostrategic theory. Data are gathered from secondary sources. The research is qualitative and framed within the scope of Russia-Africa security relations from 2014, following its annexation of Crimea, which marked a new phase of hostility between Russia and some North Atlantic Treaty Organisation allied countries. To achieve its strategic goal in Africa, Russia needs to pursue a comprehensive cooperation in other areas of direct investment that could offer African countries reciprocal paybacks that meet their national interests farther than concentrating on military aspect to achieving a personal goal.

Keywords: Russia-Africa cooperation; security threat; national interests; strategic goal; foreign policy

REFERENCES

A security strategy for the Black Sea. (December, 2023). Scowcroft Centre for Strategy and Security, 1-32. Atlantic Council.
Agnieszka, P. (2020). Russia in Africa: Is great power competition returning to the continent? Research report, No. 15, 2020.
Bartosiewicz, M. (2023). Controlled chaos: Russia’s Africa Policy. Centre for Eastern Studies OSW commentary, 1-6.
Bassou, A. (2023). Military relations between Russia and Africa, before and after the war in Ukraine. Atlantic Council Africa Center, 1-11.
Blank S. Moscow expands military influence in Africa. Eurasia Daily Monitor, 21 (41). https://jamestown.org/program/russia-increases-influence-operations-in-africa/.
Caprile, A. & Pichon, E. (2024). Russia in Africa: an atlas. European Parliament Briefing, 1-11.
Concept of the foreign policy of the Russian Federation 2013. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation. No. 229. March 31, 2023. The ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation. https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/fundamental_documents/1860586/
Crutcher M. (2001). Russia National Security: perceptions, policies and prospects. Center for Strategic Leadership, 7, 1-5. US Army War College.
Daly, S. (2023). Russia’s influence in Africa, a security perspective. Atlantic Council, Africa Center, 1-13.
Donelli, F. 2023. Russia’s engagement with Africa: Understanding mutual Russia-Africa interest in an era of global competition. ResearchGate, 1-6.
Giles, K. (2013). Russian interest in Sub-Saharan Africa. Strategic Studies Institute and U.S. Army War College Press.
Golunov, S. (2023). Russian border security: trends of post-Soviet transformation. Estudios Fronterizos. 24, 1-27.
Gotz, E. & Jonas, G. K. (2024). Russia’s quest for influence in Africa after the 2022 Ukraine invasion: instrument, cause and consequences. Danish Institute for International studies. Report, 02, 1-52.
Grissom, A. R., et al. (2022). Russia’s growing presence in Africa: A geostrategic assessment. Research Report, 1-32. RAND.
Iandolo, A. (2011). Soviet policy in West Africa. Thesis. University of Oxford.
Ibid. (2024). Why Russia seeks to expand its influence in Africa- and what it means for the West. Report, 02, 1-52. Danish Institute for International studies.
Kalila, A. (2019). Russia’s Great return to Africa? Russie. Nei., 114, 1-30. Notes de l’ Ifri.
Kayser, S. (nd). Geopolitics of the Black Sea. Research Article, 1-7.
Kuimova, A. & Wezeman, S. T. (2018). Russia and Black Sea Security. SIPRI, 1-20.
Laine, J. (2015). Threats, challenges and Finnish-Russian cross-border security cooperation: A Finnish perspective. ResearchGate, 1-19.
Loshaj, J. (2024). Between continuity and challenge in the western Balkans since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Policy Brief, 1-25. Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
Minchev, O. (2006). Major interest and strategies for the Black Sea region: framework analytical review. Institute for regional and international studies, 1-25.
Ogunbadejo, O. (1980). Soviet policies in Africa. Oxford University Press, 79(316), 297-325.
Ogunnoiki, A. & Nwediba, I. (2024). The trajectory of Russia-Africa relations: Highlighting continuity and discontinuity. ResearchGate, 1-21.
Reva, D. (26 June, 2024). Russia’s growing influence in Africa calls for more balanced partnership. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.org/iss-today/russia-s-growing-influence-in-africa-calls-for-more-balanced-partnerships.
Russia’s Economic Engagements with Africa. African Economic Brief, 2 (7). 2011.
Siegle, J. 2023. Decoding Russia’s Economic Engagements in Africa. Africa Center for Strategic Studies.
Soviet policy and Africa. National Intelligence Council Memorandum, Released May 2001.
Trenin, D. (6 June, 2021). Russia’s national security strategy: a manifesto for a new era. Commentary.
Vladimir Putin, (14 June, 2024). Speech at the meeting with senior staff of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Moscow. https://mid.ru/en/foreign_policy/news/1957107/
____________ (21 Feb., 2022). Address to the people of Russia on the Donbass problem and the situation in Ukraine. American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank.
____________ (Feb 21, 2022). Full text of Putin state of nation speech. https://www.miragenews.com/full-text-of-putin-state-of-nation-speech-21-951701/.
Wallander, C. A. (2000). Russian National Security Policy in 2000. PONARS Policy Memo 102, 1 – 7.