Guest
Russia has become a more significant actor in recent years, supplying armaments, establishing trade alliances, and developing strong ties with African countries. In addition to raising worries about neo-colonialism, opaque arrangements, and the ramifications for human rights, this renewed engagement is motivated by a desire to expand its military footprint, protect resources, and oppose Western influence. A growing number of African countries are now strengthening ties with Russia – Chad is among these countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Mahamat Idriss Deby, the leader of Chad, on Wednesday in the Kremlin. This is an attempt to win over a nation that had previously adhered to a pro-Western stance and had rejected Russia's recent outreach in Africa's Sahel region. Russia has been making moves to forge closer connections with nations that have been rocked by a succession of coups since 2020 and to lessen the influence of France, the former colonial power in West Africa and the Sahel. Mahamat Deby's trip to Russia is the first official visit to Moscow by a Chadian leader in fifty-six years and the second trip made by a leader of the landlocked central African nation since it separated from France. FOOTAGE licensed through Storyblocks
