Russia is back. The erstwhile ally to many African liberation movements largely withdrew from the continent after the Cold War. However, the last few years have seen many signs of renewed Russian interest in Africa. These include the presence of Russian mercenaries in places like the Central African Republic, attempts by Russian companies to promote nuclear power across the continent, including in South Africa, and last year’s headlining Russia-Africa Summit.
But how will this return manifest? What does Russia want to achieve in Africa, and through which methods?
This research maps the growth of Russia’s presence in two Southern African countries, to provide a glimpse of its larger African agenda. It outlines Moscow’s main areas of focus, and details the key Russian players spearheading the return of Russian influence. It also highlights the role of African governments in this process, raising key questions about Southern Africa’s future development relationships.
Provisional programme:
| 12:00 pm to 12:05 pm | Introduction: Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, SAIIA Chief Executive |
| Moderator: Dr Cobus van Staden, Senior Researcher: SAIIA | |
| 12:05 pm to 12:30 pm | Russia’s Resurgence in Africa: Zimbabwe and Mozambique: Dzvinka Kachur: Researcher at The Centre for Complex Systems in Transition: Stellenbosch University |
| 12:30 pm to 12:45 pm | Comment: Russia’s resurgence in a wider context: Prof Chris Alden, London School of Economics |
| 12:45 pm to 1:00 pm | Comment: Comparing Russian and Chinese influence-building in Africa: Dr. Cobus van Staden, Senior Researcher on China-Africa relations, SAIIA |
| 1:00 pm to 1:25 pm | Q&A |
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