AFRICA: A BATTLEGROUND OF THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR?

Peter Fabricius, journalist, Daily Maverick

Friday 31 January 1.00 pm COURSE FEES R110; Staff and students R55

This lecture is part of the Daily Maverick series of six lectures.

Africa has become a diplomatic and even perhaps a military battleground in the war which Russia launched against Ukraine with a full-scale invasion on 24 February 2022. On the diplomatic front both belligerents have battled to win the support of African countries, including votes in the UN General Assembly condemning Russia for its invasion. Foreign ministers of both sides have made many visits to Africa. Ukraine, which had a small diplomatic presence on the continent, has opened several new embassies, to counter Russia’s propaganda among other matters. One of their aims is to help African countries counter the influence on the continent of the Moscow-controlled Wagner private military/mercenary company – which has lately been rebranded as the Africa Corps under tighter Kremlin control. Wagner/Africa Corps is propping up the government of the Central African Republic and has moved into several countries in the Sahel to support military juntas which have toppled democratically elected governments and have also expelled Western militaries which were helping these governments counter Islamist and other insurgents.

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine in Africa appears to have gone beyond the diplomatic into the military on at least one and perhaps more occasions. In July last year a Ukrainian intelligence official claimed Ukraine had provided intelligence which helped Tuareg separatists and jihadists ambush a convoy of Wagner fighters and Malian troops, killing scores. Mali and its Niger junta ally broke off relations with Ukraine in retaliation.

This lecture will consider whether this offshore conflict has been good or bad for Africa.

 

Recommended reading

Ramani, S. 2023. Russia in Africa: Resurgent Great Power or Bellicose Pretender? United Kingdom: Hurst. Stanyard, J., Vircoulon, T. and Rademeyer, J. 2023. The Grey Zone: Russia’s Military, Mercenary and Criminal

Engagement in Africa. Switzerland: Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime.

TO BOOK: https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/performance.aspx?itemid=1554788236