By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
For more than three decades, Russia has been trying to regain part of its Soviet-era economic influence in Africa, but such efforts have regularly hit stumbling blocks which policy experts attribute to pitfalls in its policy towards Africa. Now several reports have urged Russian authorities, first to move away from their illusionary dreams, and to adopt a more comprehensive sustainable development-oriented policies which meet the contemporary challenges facing African countries.
The latest report titled ‘Ways to Increase the Efficiency of Russia’s African Strategy under the Crisis of the Existing World Order’ co-authored by Professors Irina O. Abramova and Leonid L. Fituni castigated or reprimanded authorities who are squeezed between illusions and realities with policy ambitions in Africa. Against the backdrop of geopolitical challenges and in terms of great power competition, Russian authorities really need to have an insight understanding into the practical investment and economic possibilities in the continent.
The authors said that “it is time for Russia, which over the past 30 years has unsuccessfully sought to become part of the West, to abandon illusions and reconsider its foreign economic and foreign policy strategy, reorienting itself to states that are turning from outsiders into significant players in the international political and economic space and are willing to interact with our country on a mutually beneficial and equal basis.“
In addition, the report underlined the fact that the Russian elite demonstrates a somewhat arrogant attitude towards Africa. High-ranking officials have often used the phrase We (that is, Russia) are not Africa to oppose attempts to change the status quo, to change approach towards Africa. Despite the thoughtless imposition of the idea of Africa as the most backward and problematic region of the world in Russian public opinion, qualified Africanists, including Western experts, call Africa the continent of the 21st century, attributing this to the stable growth rates of the African economy over the past 20 years and the colossal resource and human potential of the African region.
Modern Africa is gradually becoming both a significant consumer market and a supplier of labor for the global economy. Africa’s population already exceeds 1.2 billion and is growing at the fastest rate in the world. According to UN forecasts, in 2050 more than a quarter of the world’s population will live in Africa. Today, 60% of this population are young people under the age of 25, and it is young people who provide the demand for modern goods and services. The consumer market in Africa doubles every five years, and the growth rate of the middle class, which forms the basis of demand for modern goods and services, already exceeds the corresponding indicators of Asian states.
It is noteworthy that the landmark event in the development of the African continent, was the signing of an agreement on the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) on March 21, 2018 (at the emergency summit of the AU heads of government in Kigali, Rwanda). It aims at creating a continental market for goods and services, with free movement of businesspeople and investments in Africa. If successfully implemented, this project will lead to the emergence of the largest free trade zone in the world in terms of the number of participants, with a market uniting the population of 55 member countries of the African Union.
The report acknowledges the fact that African countries consider Russia as a reliable economic partner, and it is necessary interacting with African public and private businesses on a mutually beneficial basis. It notes, however, that the hopes of Africans to intensify cooperation with the Russian Federation should be supported by real steps in the economic and political spheres and not be limited to verbal declarations about the “return of Russia to Africa” especially after Sochi gathering which was described very symbolic.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, which had viewed interaction with the African continent as a major component of its foreign policy, Russia, despite the colossal efforts and funds invested in the development of Africa, practically curtailed relations with African states. This was done clearly purposefully by the people who headed the foreign policy and foreign economic departments at that time, and were mainly oriented towards the West. In other words, in the 1990s, not only were the economic foundations destroyed, but so was the entire infrastructure of cooperation with Africa.
“Today, we find ourselves in the same boat with Africans, and not only in terms of Western pressure on our political and economic agency and the desire to free ourselves from old and new forms of colonialism. We have common goals and objectives. We are mutually interested in the formation of a just multipolar world, where every country and people can find a worthy place,” according Professors Abramova and Fituni.
Both experts, however, maintain that officials need analyse the strategies of old and new players on the African continent, and vis-avis with the current areas of Russian-African cooperation in the short, medium, and long term, and adopt practical mechanisms and tools necessary to intensify interaction, including informational and financial-economic levers. The key direction in the near future, which will become attractive for African countries and will contribute to the successful economic development of the Russian Federation, maybe Russian investments in those areas of Africa’s economy that are of mutually-beneficial interest to both the Russian Federation and African states.
In practical terms, Russia when formulating its strategy, should seriously consider the interests of African states formulated in the strategic document of the African Union – Agenda 2063, according to which Africa should turn into a prosperous continent with advanced infrastructure and industry and qualitatively new human potential. At the same time, it is necessary to understand clearly how interaction with Africa will contribute to the solution of Russia’s own development tasks, its economic and technological breakthrough, and ensuring national security against the backdrop of aggravated confrontation with the West.
Many other reports have argued that Russia’s policy have largely excluded non-public organizations and institutions. In other words, Russia policy focuses on state-centric approach, anything outside this is not within Russia’s designed gaols in Africa. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov meets regularly African foreign ministers, has office-centered discussions and nothing more. He has not, not even at one-time, delivered public lecture in any educational establishment neither meet with groups of African entrepreneurs. Lavrov could also interact to share his multipolar views with distinctive youth and women groups inside Africa.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov consistently praises China’s performance in Africa. And why not Russia? Beijing’s growing influence in Africa is due to purposeful government policy. China is Africa’s largest trading partner. The volume of bilateral trade in 2021 reached $254 billion, which is 35% more than in 2020. China’s leading partners are South Africa, Nigeria, Angola, Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These five countries account for more than half of all Sino-African trade. China has established 25 economic and trade cooperation zones in 16 African countries.
There are now more than 10,000 Chinese companies operating across the continent. Almost a third is employed in the manufacturing industry, a quarter in the service sector, and about one-fifth each in trade and construction. 12% of Africa’s industrial output already comes from Chinese companies. In the sphere of infrastructure, China’s dominance is even more tangible. Large investment projects are usually implemented by state-owned companies with the support of banks such as China Exim Bank, China Development Bank and ICBC. Large state-owned companies tend to pave the way for smaller private companies, usually in retail and services.
Kestér Kenn Klomegâh is an Int’l Affairs Analyst.
