Russia’s foreign minister (Sergei Lavrov) is taking a tour around Africa in an attempt to spread Russian influence amid suppression from western countries, usually in the form of sanctions, due to their continuous actions in Ukraine. He’s already been to Sudan, and spoke with their officials about increasing economic coordination between the countries as well as potentially providing means for infrastructure development. Apparently Lavrov has also been touring Iraq in the Middle East, Mauritania and Mali in Western Africa, and now Sudan in Eastern Africa. Last week he was in South Africa doing the same. Lavrov expressed specific intentions of reforming the U.N. Security Council (probably in a way that would allow Russia more influence) as well as building a multipolar world. Sudan previously had billions in international financing, but it came with a western-backed transitional government that was ousted last year. Representatives from other countries (specifically the US, France and Britain) are also in Sudan right now lobbying to institute a new democratic government in the country. Lavrov claims that these efforts (among others) are an example of western countries trying to hinder the progression into a multipolar world. Sudan has previously considered allowing Russia military presence on the Red Sea Coast, which countries in NATO have been vying for. Unfortunately the deal had been reached under a previous Sudanese president who was toppled in an uprising.
It sounds like Russia is trying to expand their influence in a region that has been notoriously elusive to western countries (due to a long history of colonialism and proxy wars). Russia has been a good asset to many African countries in providing support in civil wars, but it is questionable how valuable or sturdy these relationships may be. Russian relations with the West hit new lows following their invasion of Ukraine, and with resources draining through the war, Russia is going to continue to have a hard time remaining politically and financially strong. Although these countries have established civil societies and are becoming more and more relevant, they are still phases behind in development compared to western forces— behind Russia as well. From an individual level, Lavrov is very crass (at least when it comes to the media), even when addressing his own country. It is questionable whether he followed respectful customs when negotiating, which is something that he has fatefully neglected in the past. This could affect the whole of relations between Russia and African countries, despite being such a small detail.
In class, we learned about bandwagon states and revisionist powers. It seems as if Russia might be pressing African countries into forming revisionist power against the west, or influencing their sway to bandwagon with Russia rather than anyone else.