Russia in Africa: Building influence with war ‘tours’ and graffiti

AFP Teenage footballers listen to the Russian national anthem before a match. Nearby, artists paint Russian President Vladimir Putin’s portrait on a wall during a graffiti festival. Welcome to Burkina Faso, one of the African nations where Russia is boosting its operations to gain influence. Evidence found by the BBC shows that Russia is using media and cultural initiatives to attract African journalists, influencers, and students while spreading misleading information. These events are being promoted by African Initiative, a newly founded Russian media organisation which defines itself as an “information bridge between Russia and Africa”. It inherited structures previously set up by the dismantled Wagner mercenary group and is believed by experts to have links with the Russian security services. Registered in September 2023, a month after Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash, African Initiative has welcomed former employees from his disbanded enterprises. Its efforts have been particularly focused on the three military-run countries of Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso. Following recent coups, these West African nations have distanced themselves from Western allies like France, criticising their failed interventions against jihadist groups and colonial legacies. They have instead pivoted towards Russia. Alongside cultural events on the ground,...