How Ukraine war has turned Africa into a geopolitical battleground for China, Russia and US
- Washington is seeking to counter growing Chinese influence and push more African countries to condemn Russian invasion
- Moscow has sent Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Africa three times since ‘special military operation’ began a year ago
Kyiv and Moscow might be thousands of kilometres from Africa, but the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been felt across the continent – from Khartoum to Cairo.
As the war enters its second year, tensions between China and Russia on the one side and the United States on the other have increased, with observers saying Africa has been turned into a geopolitical battleground.
02:38
Russia’s Medvedev makes surprise visit to Beijing, China’s Xi Jinping says China willing to mediate
Gustavo de Carvalho, a senior researcher on Russia-Africa ties for the African governance and diplomacy programme at the South African Institute of International Affairs, said the war had mostly had an indirect impact on China-Africa relations, with diplomatic, military and economic ties remaining strong.
But “the conflict has created geopolitical sensitivities as China and the West compete for influence in Africa”, he said.
