By Umarou Sanou
Africa has moved beyond the era of formal colonial domination. The struggles that defined the continent’s mid-20th-century liberation movements, anti-colonial resistance, and the ideological tug-of-war between the United States and the Soviet Union belong to a different historical moment. Yet, in a curious twist, the mindset of that era still lingers in parts of Africa’s political and intellectual space.
Today’s Africa is no longer fighting for independence; it is fighting for development, stability, and relevance in a rapidly shifting global order. But instead of confronting these modern challenges with clarity, some countries, particularly within the Sahel’s junta-led Alliance of Sahel States (AES), appear to be trapped in a recycled narrative that casts Russia as a natural ally, even a redeemer, in a renewed struggle against Western influence.
This framing is not only outdated; it is dangerously misleading. Russia’s contemporary engagement in Africa is often wrapped in the familiar rhetoric of “anti-imperialism” and “sovereign partnership.” These are powerful phrases, especially on a continent with a painful colonial past. But history teaches us that such language, while emotionally resonant, can sometimes conceal more than it reveals.
The reality is that Russia’s global posture today is not that of a liberator, but of a power pursuing its own strategic interests; often in ways that mirror the very imperial tendencies it criticises. The ongoing war in Ukraine, widely seen as an attempt to reassert control over a former territory, raises fundamental questions about the credibility of its anti-imperialist messaging. It is difficult to claim the moral high ground against domination while simultaneously engaging in actions that resemble it.
This contradiction should not be lost on Africa. Beyond rhetoric, the more pressing question is practical: what tangible benefits does Russia offer Africa, particularly compared with other global partners?
On security, the record is at best mixed and, in some cases, troubling. In the Sahel, where Russian-linked security actors have replaced or supplemented Western forces, the expectation was that a new approach would yield better results. Instead, the region has witnessed a troubling expansion of extremist violence. Armed groups continue to operate with alarming freedom, and insecurity has spilt across borders, affecting not only Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger but also coastal West African states and countries like Nigeria.
This raises a critical point: security cannot be outsourced. The reliance on foreign mercenaries or external military support, whether Western or Russian, does not address the root causes of instability, including weak governance, economic marginalisation, and fragile state institutions. If anything, it risks deepening dependency while offering only short-term tactical gains.
Economically, the limitations of Russia’s engagement are even more evident. Trade between Russia and Africa remains relatively modest. Recent estimates place total trade volume at around $24.5 billion, a fraction of Africa’s trade with other partners. By comparison, China’s trade with Africa exceeds $290 billion, while the European Union’s trade exceeds $350 billion.
These figures are not just statistics; they reflect capacity. Africa’s most urgent needs: jobs, infrastructure, industrialisation, and technological advancement, require sustained investment and deep economic partnerships. Russia, constrained by its own economic challenges and ongoing geopolitical commitments, does not operate at the scale required to meet these needs.
This is not an argument for abandoning engagement with Moscow, far from it. Every partner has a role to play in Africa’s development journey. But it is a call for realism. Africa must resist the temptation to replace one external dependency with another. The idea that rejecting Western influence while embracing Russian or any other external influence constitutes genuine independence is an illusion. It is not liberation, it is substitution.
For the Sahel, this illusion carries even greater risks. The region has become an emerging chessboard in a broader contest between global powers. In distancing themselves from traditional Western partners and aligning more closely with Russia, some governments may believe they are asserting sovereignty. In reality, they risk narrowing their strategic options and exposing themselves to new vulnerabilities.
The lesson from other regions is clear: great powers do not enter partnerships out of charity. They act in pursuit of influence, access, and advantage. Africa, therefore, must do the same. This requires a fundamental shift in mindset, from one of alignment to one of agency.
Africa does not need a new protector. It needs stronger institutions, smarter governance, and a clearer articulation of its own interests. It needs to build functional, trusted regional security architectures. It needs to leverage its resources not as bargaining chips for external powers, but as foundations for internal development.
Most importantly, it needs to engage the world on its own terms: open to partnerships, but not beholden to them.
Russia, in this context, should be seen for what it is: one of many global actors competing for influence in Africa. Not a saviour. Not an ideological ally. Not a substitute for the hard work of nation-building. The real danger lies not in engaging with Russia, but in misunderstanding the nature of that engagement.
Africa’s future will not be determined in Moscow, Washington, Beijing, or Brussels. It will be shaped in Abuja, Bamako, Ouagadougou, Accra, and across the continent, by leaders and citizens willing to move beyond nostalgia and confront present realities.
It is time to retire the myths, however comforting they may be. And it is time, finally, for Africa to stop being a theatre of external ambitions; and to become the author of its own destiny.
Umarou Sanou is a social critic, Pan-African observer, and researcher focusing on governance, security, and political transitions in the Sahel. He writes on geopolitics, regional stability, and African leadership dynamics.
Contact: sanououmarou386@gmail.com
