The Trajectory of Russia-Africa Relations: Highlighting Continuity and Discontinuity

Abstract

At the height of the Cold War, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), in ideological competition with the United States of America (USA), made inroads into Africa and gradually held sway over some countries therein. Owing largely to domestic issues, the USSR collapsed in 1991, thus ending the long-standing Cold War. From 1992 to 1999, the Russian Federation as the successor state to the USSR had minimal relations with Africa. However, in the 2000s, Russia rekindled its interest in geo-strategic Africa. This article highlights features of Soviet-African relations that were stopped and those that remain part of Russia’s African policy. To achieve this, the historical approach was adopted and data was collected from secondary sources. The article concludes that in the trajectory of Russo-African relations, Soviet support for liberation movements, economic aid, and the promotion of Marxist-Leninist ideology in Africa ended while state scholarships, arms sales, and military training continued.