Ukrainian War | In the middle of the sandstorm of the Sahara, there was a battle that revealed the shadow war between Ukraine and Russia in the African chamber

Lived in late July, when a Malian rebel group ambushed a group of Russian mercenaries and Malian soldiers in the middle of a sandstorm in the Sahara.

In what happened in the northern parts of Mali, which lasted for two days in action dozens of Russians died. Among the dead were, for example, veterans who survived the wars in Ukraine, Libya and Syria, the news agency reported Reuters.

Shortly after the battle, a spokesman for the Ukrainian military intelligence service HUR Andrii Yusov made it clear on television that Ukraine had given the Tuaregs at least intelligence assistance.

According to him, the rebels received “useful information, and not only that” from Ukraine, it is reported of the Jamestown Foundation in a report published last week. French of Le Monde magazine Ukraine is also suspected of training Tuareg rebels in, for example, drone warfare.

The case revealed something startling: Russia and Ukraine seem to be waging a shadow war far from the borders of their home countries, in the middle of Africa.

Information helping the Tuareg, who were considered jihadists, was not considered good, especially in Mali, whose soldiers were also killed in the clash. Mali announced that it was cutting diplomatic relations with Ukraine. Not long after, Niger did the same.

Mali and its neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso have distanced themselves from Western countries and moved closer to Russia after military coups in recent years.

In Sudan, on the other hand, Ukraine allegedly defended the country’s administration. Last February Kyiv Post released a video it said a Ukrainian special forces soldier interrogated a captured Russian mercenary who had supported rebels in Sudan.

In addition, a video circulated last fall that allegedly showed Ukrainian special forces in Sudan. A group of journalists Bellingcat found out that the video was indeed filmed in Sudan. However, it was not certain who the light-skinned gunmen in the video were.

Ukraine has been more active in Africa for a couple of years now. In August, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba already made the fourth his tour to Africa within two years. Around the same time, President Volodymyr Zelenskyi on the other hand, has sat in dozens of meetings with the leaders of African countries.

Ukraine began warming up its relations with Africa in 2022, when it drafted its first Africa strategy. Since then, Ukraine has opened new embassies in African countries. At the turn of last year, Ukraine had 13 missions in Africa, two of which were new. The opening of seven other representative offices had been agreed upon.

Ukraine has also had a similar foreign policy awakening in Asia and Latin America. In Africa, however, the situation is particularly clear Ukraine versus Russia. Why?

“They try to cause trouble for the Russians wherever they can,” says the Program Director of the Foreign Policy Institute Arkady Moshes. “Ukraine seeks to prevent Russia from achieving its goals in Africa.”

Also In recent years, Russia has strengthened its foothold in Africa. One of its tools is the Afrika group of mercenaries, which was assembled around the turn of last year from the former Wagner group. Russian mercenaries in Africa operate under the Ministry of Defense, says Maykouinen of the Polish Foreign Policy Institute report.

However, Russia also has other influence, which is partly based on Soviet nostalgia. The Soviet Union, which presented itself as an opponent of colonialism, was once popular in some African countries.

“Many Africans, for example, have studied at Soviet universities. They have positive memories of the Soviet Union,” says Arkady Moshes.

Russia has tried to incorporate the image of the Soviet Union into itself, even though Ukraine was also part of the Soviet Union. Many who studied in the Soviet Union may even have studied specifically in Ukraine.

The Soviet Union also supported African countries financially. “Now they hope that Putin’s Russia could give them money,” says Moshes.

Russian despite its influence, it is not indulged in Africa unreservedly. This can be seen, for example, by looking at how African countries have voted in the UN General Assembly on resolutions related to the war in Ukraine.

In most votes, only one or two countries have voted according to Russia’s position. African countries can be roughly divided into two groups: those who vote on matters concerning Ukraine, such as the camp of Ukraine and Western countries, and those who are not really interested in the matter.

For example, in the resolution issued after the start of the war in March 2022, Russia’s attack on Ukraine was condemned. Of the 54 African countries, only Eritrea opposed the resolution. Almost half, or 25 countries, voted absent or not at all.

In April 2022, as many as nine countries voted for Russia, but the vast majority of countries did not express an opinion. At that time, it was about freezing Russia’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council. When in October 2022 the annexation of Ukraine’s territories to Russia was condemned at the UN, not a single African country was on Russia’s side.

Many African countries do not see their own relations with non-African countries as black and white, says a senior researcher From Katariina Mustas From the Foreign Policy Institute.

“They are not necessarily a terrible bunch of people choosing sides. Even if we are open to cooperation economically or diplomatically, it is not necessarily worth waiting for immediate results, for example, in the UN General Assembly’s votes,” says Mustasilta.

“I believe that in Ukraine, for example, this is understood.”

in African relations however, it is not only about Russia and Ukraine, reminds Moshes.

“The West is leaving Africa. If any country is really gaining influence in Africa, it is China.”