Russia’s Future Neocolonial Ambitions in Africa and France’s Dark Colonial Past

Russia’s relations with its Eastern European and Central Asia neighbors are currently low. Renewed imperialist ambitions in Ukraine and heightened militaristic rhetoric against nations they formerly ruled over have arisen in the Kremlin and the public, forcing their former spheres of influence to look elsewhere for geopolitical relations.

Likewise, in Africa, the scars of colonialism remain for most African nations, which is where Russia came in.

Using the “multipolar world” rhetoric to gain support for its imperial ambitions and illicit activities, Russia has gradually gotten a foothold in Africa. By hiding their true intentions in Africa while claiming they’re helping to “liberate” the continent, the Kremlin has successfully whitewashed their crimes by playing into the emotions of various African countries.

Russia’s Increased Presence in Africa

Moscow has increased their interest in Africa since the early 2010s. Using a proxy to exert their influence, Putin would hire the mercenary organization, the Wagner Group, to conduct illicit activities in Africa.

The Wagner Group has not only been effective in propping up military juntas across the continent, but they’ve also extracted essential resources to enrich themselves and the Russian government.

Engaging in slave labor, Wagner has used juntas in Sudan and the Central African Republic to remove valuable mines to continue operations and fund military operations, as seen with Ukraine and Syria in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

Along with PMC running operations in the continent, Russia also has a targeted disinformation media campaign in Africa to fuel sympathies and convince Africans that Eastern and Central European non-colonial countries are just as bad as Western Europe and North America.

The ongoing tensions between the pro-Russian juntas and the West African military alliance, ECOWAS, have reached consequences as Putin knows most of the region’s governments aren’t stable. By having a continuous corridor of military juntas funded and supplied by the Kremlin and protected by Wagner, Moscow looks to cash in on the spoils as relations with Western states in the region remain tumultuous.

Targeting Former French Colonies

Russia’s growing influence coincides with crucial nations in West Africa—most of these states are former French colonies. Mail, Burkina Faso, and now Niger all have military juntas directly supported by the Wagner Group, and, ironically, all have a deep hatred for France.

Infiltrating former French colonies wasn’t hard for Russia as various situations allowed the Kremlin to exacerbate the powder keg.

Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso are engaged in counterterrorism operations against various militant groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. Regional coalitions, supported and backed by France and the United States, gave these different militaries training and experience. In contrast, their governments indirectly gave them more power to fight terrorist organizations.

Unfortunately for them, influenced by the Kremlin, their military officers would overthrow the democratically elected governments, suspend the various constitutions, and engage in human rights abuses to quell dissidents.

France’s dark history also helped fuel anti-Western sentiments. Aside from Belgium in the Congo, the French Empire was arguably one of the most brutal colonial powers in Africa, even fighting numerous wars around the world to keep control of their colonies post World War Two.

Fourteen African countries are still required to pay colonial tax to Paris, and lasting effects of colonization remain, such as the nuclear testing in the Sahara Desert. With Emmanuel Macron and Vladimir Putin engaging in a tit-for-tat foreign policy influence across the South Caucasus, Middle East, Mediterranean, and African continent, West Africa became a primary target for Russian operations.

Africa’s Fate Can Only be Solved by Africans

Using African emotions and scars of their colonial past to justify their colonial future is now the hallmark foreign policy of Vladimir Putin. Desperate for allies to bypass sanctions and United Nations Security Council Resolutions, Moscow has attempted to manipulate the plight of the global south to wage a brutal war of aggression and annexation against a country it still wants to colonize.

Kenya’s United Nations ambassador, Martin Kamani, has called out Vladimir Putin for stoking tensions and manipulating Africa for his gain and linked the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine to colonialism by Western Europe.

Both France and Russia have neocolonial policies, such as the ongoing colonial tax by Paris in Africa and Moscow’s threats of war against neighbors who look to the West to reassess their national security. Other countries’ major players who look to export their influence on the continent, such as the United States, China, Turkey, and Iran, also prioritize their interests over the benefits of Africans in the continent.

France and Russia’s geopolitical disputes have affected tens of millions, and West Africa has gradually become their new regional fight for influence. Overall, Africa’s future can only be decided by Africans and not outside world powers, whether it is Russia or France.