Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-05-04
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Saliou Dieng, researcher, Cheikh Hamidou Kane Digital University
After a long latency period following the collapse of the Soviet bloc, the Russian Federation is now orchestrating a major strategic redeployment on the African continent.
This movement, far from being accidental, was largely accelerated by Moscow’s growing isolation on the international stage and its consummated break with Western powers since the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict.
My doctoral research conducted in recent years reveals that Moscow no longer relies solely on its traditional military levers but is deploying a hybrid strategy. Russia operatesa strategic returnmajor in Africa to break its international isolation. It deploys a hybrid strategy combining institutionalized hard power (Africa Corps) witha structured soft power(media, education) in order to establish itself as an indispensable partner vis-à-vis the West in a multipolar world.
Russia’s renewed interest in Africa, already initiated in recent years, is part of a desire to break its diplomatic isolation since theconflict in Ukraine of February 24, 2022by mobilizing an anti-colonial rhetoric to build an alternative geopolitical bloc. Africa thus appears as a strategic space on several counts.
First of all, the African continent represents for Moscow a crucial diplomatic lever within multilateral bodies, serving as a reservoir of votes to counter its isolation, particularly during votes at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
Although this breakthrough initially relies on hard power instruments materialized by dense military cooperation and thedeployment of the Africa Corps, this security approach today encounters major deadlocks: the instability of the “security provider” model, the absence of a solid economic component, and the fragility of institutional anchoring.
Russia is deploying a multidimensional soft power strategy, inspired by the theory of the American political scientistJoseph Nye(he defined this concept as the capacity of attraction and persuasion of a State without recourse to force). Russia is deploying an influence offensive in Africa, characterized by a strong increase in student numbers (35,000 in 2025) and an increase in state scholarships. At the same time, the Kremlin is expanding its cultural network through the opening of“Russian houses”, turning students into influence relays in their countries of origin.
This charm offensive also relies on an efficient media and cultural apparatus. International media such as the television channelRTand the news agencySputniknow occupy a central place in the dissemination of an alternative narrative of world news. By systematically questioning Western discourse, these platforms influence public debates. They manage to reach a young and connected audience via social networks, which is very receptive to this rhetoric of rupture.
Russia is consolidating its influence in Africa through careful official communication and values of mutual respect. This breakthrough diplomacy transforms its initial security interventions into a multidimensional partnership capable of competing with historical powers.
Therecruitment of at least 1,417 Africansfor the Ukrainian front, denounced as human trafficking, permanently tarnishes Russia’s image in Africa. This instrumentalization of vulnerable youth reveals a major flaw in its soft power. It highlights a stark gap between its sovereigntist rhetoric and the reality of military exploitation condemned by countries like Kenya.
Read more:
War in Ukraine: how Russia recruits and exploits African migrants
Differentiated spheres of influence
Russia’s soft power in Africa is targeted and unevenly distributed, concentrated in countries where political instability, security needs, and openness to new partners converge. This deployment of Russian soft power thus focuses on strategic areas like the Sahel, which serves as a laboratory of influence. Countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger constitute privileged grounds because:
• from their rupture with Western partners,
• of their security needs,
• the mobilization of public opinion in favor of Russia.
The Russian strategy within theAlliance of the Sahel States(AES, composed of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger) merges security assistance and ideological offensives around the concept of “second decolonization.” In Burkina Faso, this anchoring has been realized through strong symbolic acts, such as the reopening of the Russian embassy after 31 years of closure and the donation of 25,000 tons of wheat, reinforcing the image of a supportive partner respectful of sovereignty.
This model demonstrates that Moscow’s soft power is intrinsically hybrid: it derives its credibility from the perceived effectiveness of hard power (Africa Corps) to transform the Sahel into a laboratory of global influence, proving that an operational alternative to the West is possible
Adhesion, pragmatism and mistrust
The perception of Russia in Africa is far from homogeneous. In this context, particularly in the Sahel, Russia is seen as an anti-hegemonic power capable of breaking with old colonial patterns. It is welcomed there as a partner respectful of national sovereignty, offering a non-interference approach that appeals to public opinion.
Russia’s security effectiveness in the Sahel remains highly contested despite its apparent responsiveness. While Moscow offers direct military solutions, the outcome on the ground is grim: on April 25, 2026, Mali thus sufferedjihadist attacksof an unprecedented scale and coordination against the junta and the Africa Corps, resulting in the death of the Minister of Defense.
The Sahel remains the epicenter of global terrorism, concentrating more than51% of deathslinked to extremism 2024. Faced with this observation, African states adopt a pragmatic multipolarity by diversifying their allies to avoid any exclusive dependence.
Russia is thus used as an additional tactical lever alongside other powers. China, on the other hand, handles the economic aspect through massive investments in infrastructure, whereas Russia limits itself to hard power.
Despite its attractiveness, the opacity of the Russian model is worrying. The central question remains the Kremlin’s ability to establish itself in a sustainable development partnership rather than limiting itself to a temporary security offer.
Potentialities and constraints
Russia’s strategy in Africa is based on a hybridization between security and soft power aimed at breaking its diplomatic isolation while supporting allied regimes. By mobilizing a sovereigntist and anti-Western rhetoric through social networks and media such as RT or Sputnik, Moscow manages to capture part of public opinion. This charm offensive, although effective in the short term to provoke a break with the West, remains more of a tactical weapon than a model of deep cooperation.
The Russian strategy in Africa remains precarious due to its dependence on military regimes and contexts of instability. Faced with China’s economic dominance and Europe’s historical influence, Moscow is establishing itself as a mere “crisis actor.” Its soft power, although effective in orchestrating a break with the West, lacks concrete development projects.
This presence therefore remains a circumstantial influence, vulnerable to any change in local leadership and lacking an institutional anchoring capable of competing with other great powers in the long term.
If the hard/soft power combination allows Moscow to assert itself as a reactive alternative to Western models, its foothold remains fragile. Faced with Chinese economic predominance, the sustainability of the Russian presence will depend on its ability to transform from a mere security provider into a structural development player.
Saliou Dieng does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
–ref. Soft power and Africa Corps: the new Russian strategy in Africa in a multipolar context –https://theconversation.com/soft-power-and-africa-bodies-the-new-russian-strategy-in-africa-in-a-multipolar-context-281051