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ABSTRACT
After decades of diplomatic disengagement from Africa, Russia is making a strong bid to facilitate bilateral relations with more African states. Many analysts regard this as an attempt to project power and influence outside of Russia's immediate borders in Eastern Europe and to whittle down the West's influence in Africa. The deepening ties between Russia and African states have led to the incursion of Russian political operatives and disinformation experts who have meddled in the political and electoral processes of countries such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, while Russian election interference in advanced western democracies has attracted extensive scholarly interest, similar meddling by Russian agents on the African continent has been subject to little scrutiny. This article sheds light on the methods used by Russian political operatives to meddle in elections in Africa. It concludes that Russia's renewed interest in Africa could have grave consequences for democracy on the continent if left unchecked.
Notes
1 Jackson, ‘Great Power in Africa’.
2 Diamond, ‘Russia and the Threat to Liberal Democracy’.
3 Gvosdev, ‘Is Russia Sabotaging Democracy’.
4 Blackwill and Gordon, Containing Russia.
5 Bratteberg and Maurer, Russian Electoral Interference.
6 Walker, ‘What Is “Sharp power”?’
7 Kuczynski, Russia in Africa.
8 Stronski, Late to the Party.
9 Gathara, Russia Has Joined the ‘Scramble’ for Africa.
10 Fukuyama, The New Marxists Leninists States in the Third World.
11 Mills and Pienaar, ‘Nazdorovva?’
12 Fidan and Aras, ‘The Return of Russia-Africa Relations’.
13 Ibid., 4.
14 Gotz and Merlen, ‘Russia and the Question of World Order’.
15 Kuczynski, Russia in Africa.
16 Stronski, Late to the Party.
17 Kalika, Russia Great Return to Africa?
18 Kuczynski, Russia in Africa.
19 BBC, Russia to Build Nuclear Power Plans in Nigeria.
20 Gides, Russian in Sub-Saharan Africa.
21 Kalika, Russia Great Return to Africa?
22 Fidan and Aras, The Return of Russia-Africa Relations.
23 Adibe, What Does Russia Really Want from Africa?
24 Stronski, Late to the Party.
25 Rakener et al., Democratisation's Third Wave.
26 Adejumobi, ‘Elections in Africa’.
27 The ‘tonic’ effect of elections describes Lindberg's (2006) thesis which posits that an ‘uninterrupted series of election has a “self-reinforcing power” to inculcate society with democratic qualities’. Lindberg, Democracy and Elections in Africa.
28 Ighobor, ‘African Democracy Coming of Age’.
29 Maendeleo, Elections in the Sub-Saharan Africa.
30 Appiah-Thompson, ‘Electoral Politics and Democracy in Africa’.
31 IPI, ‘Elections in Africa’.
32 IFES, Elections Worth Dying For?
33 Omotola, ‘Elections and Democratic Transition in Nigeria’.
34 Nye, Soft Power.
35 Ibid.
36 Enumeo, ‘Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law’.
37 Walker, ‘What Is “Sharp Power”?’
38 Walker and Ludwig, ‘The Meaning of Sharp Power’.
39 Nye, ‘Public Diplomacy and Soft Power’.
40 Foxall and Hemmings, ‘Introduction’.
41 Nye, How Sharp Power Threathens Soft Power.
42 Janda and Vichova, ‘Russia's Manipulation of European Media’.
43 Metz, ‘Great Power Competition’.
44 Yachshen, ‘Great Power Competition and the Scramble for Africa’.
45 Stronski, Late to the Party.
46 Janda and Vichova, ‘Russia's Manipulation of European’.
47 Harding and Burke, ‘Leaked Documents’.
48 Arbunies, Russia Sharp Power in Africa.
49 Ibid.
50 Africa Center for Strategic Studies, Russia Disinformation Campaigns Target Africa.
51 CNN, ‘Russia Election Meddling Is Back’.
52 Ibid.
53 Janda and Vichova, ‘Russia's Manipulation of European’.
54 Searcey, ‘Political Handlers with Trump Ties’.
55 Borgia, ‘Did Russia Meddle in Madagascar Election?’
56 Ibid.
57 Zwicewicz, ‘Russia in Africa’.
58 Ibid.
59 Shekhovtson, Fake Election Observation.
60 Ibid.
62 Shekhovtson, Fake Election Observation.
63 AFRIC, ‘Report of the International Observation Mission’.
64 Ibid
65 Smyth and Oates, ‘Russia's Rigged Elections’.
66 Barnet, ‘The Tripod’.
67 Walker and Ludwig, ‘The Meaning of Sharp Power’.
68 Poller, ‘The Wrath of Ka’.
69 Roxhdestvensky et al., ‘Npoekt’.
70 Airbunies, Russia Sharp Power in Africa.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Akinlolu E. Akinola
Akinlolu Akinola is a PhD candidate at the department of Political Science, Obafemi Awolowo university, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. His research interest covers comparative poltics and international relations. His most recent work was published by The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs.
Olusola Ogunnubi
Olusola Ogunnubi is a Research Fellow with the University of the Free State and a Visiting Scholar at Carleton University, Ottawa. His research has been published in journals including South African Journal of International Affairs, African Security, Politikon, Journal of Contemporary African Studies and Journal of Asian and African Studies.