Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Is Russia Really Making a Major Push into Africa?

The Pulitzer Center posted on 10 August 2018 an article titled "Putin's Safari: Russia Pushes into 'Free Country for the Taking' in Attempt to Rival the West" by Jack Losh, freelance journalist, and Owen Mathews.

The author argues that Russia is pushing hard into Africa and has an axis of influence from Sudan to Angola. Much of the analysis focuses on Russia's significant engagement in crisis torn Central African Republic (CAR), admittedly a seemingly strange place for Russia to be expending its resources. But except for North Africa, especially Egypt, and the CAR, the case is not compelling that Russia has significantly reengaged in Africa since the halcyon days of Soviet Cold War activity in Africa. The Russian presence is barely visible in most African countries and it is questionable if Moscow has the resources and will to make a major push into Africa.