The Russian-African Summit 2023 comes in a special time as the world moves towards a multipolar system.
Indeed, the second Russian-African summit constitutes one of the episodes of the international and regional race over influence in the black continent. This is either by seeking to preserve its areas of influence, as is the case between Beijing, Moscow, and Washington, or by expanding to achieve new gains in the African continent, which enjoys many natural resources and youthful forces.
Russia won the bet as most African countries participated in the second summit, although Western countries warned those countries to stop cooperation with Russia. All of this is taking place in light of the escalation of competition and the increase in international conflicts between the great powers looking for a foothold or maintaining their influence and controlling the tools of conflict in what is known as the “new cold war”, which was produced by the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. This is in addition to other conflicts fueled by international competition between the superpowers, which exacerbates disputes and conflicts and exacerbates the crises of African countries that are witnessing security and political repercussions so that international summits come as a space to employ these relations and codify them more clearly.
Russia believes that the current geopolitical situation requires an inevitable correction of the interaction mechanisms. This is like converting payment methods into national currencies to reduce the cost of trade between countries.
On the other hand, African countries realize that Russia’s role cannot be dispensed with, especially with its control over donors and international relations. This is because African countries appreciate the form of historical ties with Russia and their support for liberation movements from colonialism, which increased Russia’s influence in a large number of African countries. However, this does not negate the principle of exchanging interests with the rest of the powers, in light of the realization of the intersections and tensions between all the competing international poles on the continent.
It seems that the African orientation toward dealing with the Russians reveals the phenomenon of the African orientation toward the Eastern camp. This is evident through bilateral summits between a number of African countries and China on the one hand, and African countries and Russia on the other hand, through tours to most African countries, through bilateral summits aimed primarily at strengthening relations with Russia and China. This certainly paves the way for creating a balance between the Western and Eastern camps in international relations. This explains the tours of African presidents from South Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Algeria, and others, all of which are tours of African countries towards the East instead of the West.
The summit is an opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation between Russia and African countries in various fields, including economic, political, security, cultural, and developmental. The summit can also help determine the course of relations between Russia and African countries in a multipolar world, by focusing on bilateral cooperation that enhances stability, security, and development in the region.
Russia seeks to strengthen its role in the Middle East and North Africa, and the summit may represent an opportunity to expand the scope of cooperation between Russia and African countries in this region, by focusing on issues of mutual interest, such as security, development, and investment.
Most importantly, the summit helps to strengthen South-South cooperation between Russia and African countries, through the exchange of experiences, knowledge, and technology, and the strengthening of bilateral relations between African countries as well.
On the other hand, there are several potential challenges that the Russian-African Summit 2023 could face, and among these challenges is security. This is especially in light of the terrorist threats facing some African countries, and these challenges may require securing borders and helping to enhance security and stability in the region. There is also another challenge, which is the difference in language, as cultures and languages differ between the two sides, and this may require additional efforts to facilitate communication and resolve any misunderstandings.
Among the challenges is the global economic situation, which could affect the ability of African countries to invest and cooperate. Politically, the summit may face some geopolitical challenges, such as conflicts between major countries, which could affect the ability of African countries to achieve their interests at the summit.
In light of the decline of American interest in the issues of the region and Africa in general, Russia’s opportunity to enhance trade exchange with African countries seems good and at its best, especially with the increasing Russian and Chinese influence at the expense of American investments. This is done by strengthening economic and trade relations and increasing the volume of trade exchange between the two sides. Currently, Russia is working to enhance cooperation with African countries in the fields of energy, such as oil, gas, nuclear energy, and renewable energy. Russia also encourages investment in African countries and provides support for Russian companies to participate in infrastructure and development projects in African countries. Russia also seeks to enhance cultural and educational cooperation with African countries, through the exchange of experiences and knowledge in various fields, such as culture, education, science, and sports culture. Moreover, Russian cooperation with African countries extends to the field of health, by providing support and assistance in combating infectious diseases and improving health care in African countries.
Of course, these challenges are not on the table exclusively, and the summit may face other challenges, but these challenges can be overcome through effective cooperation between Russia and African countries, ensuring the success of the summit and achieving its goals.
As the world is moving towards multipolarity and increasing bilateral cooperation between countries, the Russia-Africa Summit 2023 represents an important opportunity to enhance cooperation between Russia and African countries in this changing context and to achieve stability and development in the region. But the most important message of the summit is African discontent with Western policies towards the brown continent, so Africans found their way to the East, represented by China and Russia, in exchange for Western policies that no longer convince Africans.
Dr. Hatem Sadek: Professor at Helwan University
