
Latest Articles about Africa

Brief: Wagner Massacre in Mali and Ukraine’s Kursk Operation Appears to Have Led to PMC’s Partial Withdrawal
Executive Summary: The loss of a large number of Wagner/Africa Corps fighters in northern Mali on July 28 and the Ukrainian offensive into Russia’s Kursk oblast that occurred a week later appears to have given the paramilitary group an excuse to return to Russia. The... MORE

Iran’s Red Sea Strategy Amid the RSF–SAF Fratricidal War in Sudan
Executive Summary: Iran is supplying the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) of General Abd al-Fatah al-Burhan with drones and other weaponry in its struggle against the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by General Hamdan Daglo “Hemedti.” This has given rise to concerns that Tehran desires... MORE

Ukraine Targets Russian Forces in Sahel
Executive summary: Ukraine is alleged to be providing military equipment and training to the Tuareg separatist coalition CSP-DPA in its armed struggle against Russian-backed Malian government forces. This support is framed as a strategic move by Ukraine to counter Russian influence in Africa, particularly targeting... MORE

Diplomatic Data Signals Shifts over the Xi Era
Executive Summary: Xi Jinping’s ascension to the office of State President led to an outburst in diplomatic activity that lasted until the coronavirus pandemic. Breaking with Hu Jintao’s later years, Xi made more trips than his Prime Minister and engaged in a greater number of... MORE

Russian Defense Ministry’s Africa Corps in Trouble
Executive Summary: As Moscow seeks to expand its influence in Africa, Moscow aims to unify all Russian soldiers in Africa, including former Wagnerites who were loyal to the late Yevgeny Prigozhin, into a single effective Africa Corps. That effort has not gone well, and this... MORE

PRC-Manufactured Weapons Abound Among African Militant Groups
Executive Summary: Weapons manufactured in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) are increasingly falling into the hands of militant groups across Africa, with key contributors being state-owned defense contractors like Norinco. However, it is unclear how the weapons reach these groups. Militant groups such as... MORE

Kremlin Prioritizes Russian Language in Moscow’s Near Abroad
Executive Summary: In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, governments in Eastern Europe have begun reducing the presence of the Russian language in their education systems to combat Moscow’s influence and the Russification of their populations. The preservation of the Russian language abroad is... MORE

Putin’s Much Ado About the BRICS Summit
Executive Summary: The BRICS summit, held in Kazan, was met with great fanfare in Russian propaganda. Propagandists hailed it for its “epochal” significance. Moscow commentators promoted the idea that the BRICS summit demonstrated that Russia is not and cannot be isolated in the international arena.... MORE

Al-Qaeda Attack on Russians in Bamako Latest Setback for Russia’s Africa Corps
Executive Summary: Over the past months, Russia’s “Africa Corps,” which is mostly made up of former Wagnerites, in Africa’s Sahel states have faced numerous blows from jihadist groups. These defeats have begun to raise questions about the future of Russian military forces in the region... MORE

Beijing’s Soft Power Push with African Nations
Executive Summary: The People’s Republic of China (PRC) has successfully used its hosting of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation to burnish its soft power and its credentials to be seen as the leader of the Global South. Close political alignment on core issues, including African... MORE