Sergey Lavrov's African tour: Geopolitical stakes and resource grabs
Sergey Lavrov, the head of Russian diplomacy, has embarked on a journey through African countries. The Russian politician will visit nations governed by military juntas. His presence in Africa has specific reasons. The Russian diplomat began his trip in Conakry, the capital of Guinea.
On Monday, Sergey Lavrov's visit to Africa commenced. As TVN24 points out, the head of Russian diplomacy visited Conakry, the capital of Guinea. The Russian politician was welcomed by the head of Guinea’s foreign affairs department, Morissad Kouyate. According to information provided by Guinea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov will also meet with the junta leader, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who took power after a coup in 2021.
This is Lavrov's first visit to Guinea since 2013. Guinea will not be the only place Lavrov visits. The Kremlin representative will also visit Chad and possibly Burkina Faso.
It is no secret that Russia aims to strengthen its position on the African continent. The Kremlin does this not only through such diplomatic visits but also through disinformation campaigns and the presence of the Wagner Group. Studies by the Africa Center for Strategic Studies indicate that Russia wants to undermine democracy in 20 African countries.
Why is Africa so important to Russia?
One of Russia's primary goals in Africa is to gain diplomatic support for the ongoing war in Ukraine. "Even prior to the Ukrainian war, we saw Russia aggressively trying to build support for its policies, often when they were contrary to European or NATO or North American policies," said Justin Arenstein, the CEO of the most prominent African civic technology network, Code for Africa, in an interview with DW.
Russia is also militarily engaged through mercenaries from the Wagner Group. Representatives of the group fight in several African countries, gaining access to valuable resources that are abundant there. Lavrov visited Guinea on Monday, with rich gold and diamond deposits and one-third of the world's bauxite reserves.
