Russia’s Strategic Engagement in Africa: Great Power Competition, Sovereignty, and the Politics of Multipolarity

Abstract

Russia’s strategic engagement in Africa has intensified in recent years, reflecting broader shifts in global power dynamics and challenging traditional Western influence on the continent. Despite growing attention to Russia’s military, economic, and diplomatic activities across Africa, there remains limited scholarly analysis of the structural and geopolitical logics driving these engagements. This article foregrounds critical perspectives informed by postcolonial and realist international relations theories to advance a framework for conceptualizing Russia’s Africa policy as part of a broader contest for global influence in a multipolar world. I examine the historical legacies of Cold War alliances, resource politics, and security partnerships that underpin Russia’s contemporary interventions, as well as the ideological narratives that legitimize its presence. I argue that understanding Russia’s African strategy requires unpacking the intersections of great power competition, sovereignty discourses, and regional agency. This approach opens new directions for research, policy analysis, and diplomatic practice in addressing the complex global implications of Russia’s reassertion in Africa.