Examining Russia's Influence in Africa

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published in April 2026 a study titled "Russia in Africa: Examining Moscow's Influence and Its Limits" edited by Nate Reynolds, Frances Z. Brown, Frederic Wehrey, and Andres S. Weiss.  

The collection of essays explores Russia's role, its appeal, and its limitations across very different parts of the continent--from West Africa and the Sahel to Southern Africa.  It dives into Russia's interests and tools and explains how they vary over time and between places.  It explores the agency and interests of African governments and citizens.

The collection contains the following essays:

--Introduction by Frances Z. Brown and Nate Reynolds

--Moscow's Dual-Track Africa Playbook: Transactional Security Deals in the Sahel, Enduring Political Capital in Southern Africa by Priyal Singh

--The Drivers and Limits of Russia's Appeal in West Africa and the Sahel by Jean-Herve Jezequel

--Russia's Geopolitical Hedging in the Sahel and West Africa by Anouar Boukhars

--Russia Risks Falling into the Sahel Security Trap by Hanna Rae Armstrong

--Battle for the Narrative: Africa in the Crosshairs of Russian Influence by Bah Traore

--Russia Eyes Expanded Role in Coastal West African States by Beverly Ochieng

--The Bear Down South: Russia's Relations with Southern Africa by Steven Gruzd and Friedrich von Treskow

--South Africa's Relationship with Russia: Navigating Historical Legacies, Domestic Change, and Geopolitical Complexities by Ray Hartley

--Beyond Material: Russia's Appeal to Southern African States by Philani Mthembu

China and Southern Africa

Southern Africa Resource Watch (SARW) published a book in 2012 titled Win-Win Partnership? China, Southern Africa and the Extractive Industries. The project was sponsored by the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa. SARW has a headquarters in Johannesburg and a field office in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Editors of the book were Garth Shelton and Claude Kabemba.

The study investigated the China-Africa relationship in relation to the extraction of natural resources across ten countries in southern Africa and suggested policy options that would help to create a more positive relationship and support mutual economic development.

As China's economy grows, increased commercial interaction with Africa will offer the continent new prospects for trade and investment. The key to success for Africa lies in the continent adopting the appropriate responses to address existing impediments to growth. Africa needs to ensure a mutually beneficial outcome in its dealings with China, and build local capacity to meet the challenges posed by the relationship. China has a clear strategy for Africa, but Africa has no strategy for China.

The book covers the scale of Chinese investment in the region, the nature of China's relationship with Africa, the development impact of China's role in the region, the social responsibility of Chinese owned companies and internal constraints on ensuring a developmental impact from Chinese investment.

Click here to access the book.