The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the establishment of a new department focused on African partnerships. The objective is to enhance cooperation with African countries.
As part of this strategy, Russia intends to open embassies in The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Togo, South Sudan, Niger, and the Comoros.
Russia’s foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, stated during the inauguration of the new department that Russia is returning to Africa. He explained that previous neglect was due to the challenging financial situation of the Soviet Union and the pro-Western political orientation of the newly formed Russia. Now, according to him, Moscow wants to rectify these mistakes.
“There were several reasons for the weakening of our ties and interest in the African continent. One of them was the difficult financial situation of the Soviet Union and the independent states that emerged from it, including the Russian Federation. It was an absolutely hopeless situation. We had to close our embassies to save the funds allocated for foreign policy,” he argued.
As part of its reopening to Africa, Russia plans to soon reopen embassies that were closed years ago in Liberia, neighbouring Sierra Leone, Gambia, Togo, Niger, the Comoros, and South Sudan.
Liberia, which for years denied Russia the right to open an embassy, changed its position after the 2023 elections. The new administration of President Joseph Boakai expressed a willingness to strengthen ties with Russia.
Russia is not limiting itself to opening embassies. In November of last year, it sent military instructors to Equatorial Guinea, and earlier signed a military cooperation agreement with Cameroon. These actions aim to bolster the Russian presence on the continent.
Contacted for confirmation yesterday, neither the honorary consul of Russia in The Gambia Lamin Manga nor the Russian ambassador resident in Dakar M Dmitry Viktorovich Kurakov were available for immediate comment on the decision.
