Russian Foreign Minister Visits Guinea, Congo as Russia Seeks Stronger Ties In Africa 

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrived in Guinea on Monday, continuing his efforts to strengthen Russia’s influence in West Africa.

This comes as many African countries express growing dissatisfaction with traditional Western allies like France and the United States.

Lavrov met with Guinea’s Foreign Minister, Morissanda Kouyaté, to discuss areas of cooperation, according to Russia’s foreign ministry. The specifics of their discussions were not disclosed.

Lavrov visited the Republic of Congo afterwards to meet President Denis Sassou N’Guesso.

Guinea has been under military rule since 2021, when Col. Mamadi Doumbouya seized power, accusing the previous government of broken promises. Recently, the junta dissolved the government and promised to appoint a new one. Doumbouya has rejected Western intervention in Africa’s political challenges, stating that Africans are “exhausted by the categorisations with which everyone wants to box us in.”

Several West African countries, including Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, have experienced coups resulting in military governments. These countries have reduced their ties with Western military forces and sought security support from Russia. For instance, Lavrov pledged military aid to Mali during a visit last year.

Lavrov’s visits to Africa, including trips to South Africa, Kenya, and North Africa, aim to secure support or neutrality from the continent’s 54 countries amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He seeks to fill the gap left by declining Western influence.

In Burkina Faso, the military junta expelled French forces last year and turned to Russia for security assistance. In Niger, Russian military trainers arrived shortly after the new junta ordered U.S. troops to leave.

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