Russia is deploying a dual-track strategy to expand its footprint across Africa, capitalizing on both historical alliances and modern instability. In Southern Africa, Moscow relies on deep-rooted, liberation-era political capital to maintain strategic, long-term partnerships. Conversely, in the Sahel and Central Africa, Russia embraces a transactional playbook, trading security assistance via groups like Africa Corps for lucrative mineral rights to prop up fragile military juntas. While Moscow’s strategy in the Sahel and Central Africa helps it secure critical resources and chip away at Western isolation, it is unsustainable in the long term. In a scenario where Sahel regimes collapse or security improves, Russia would lose its leverage over these countries. Meanwhile, its strategy across Southern Africa has proven more durable and helped it secure influence for decades.
ISSAfrica
