Russia’s peace mediation in Africa: An assessment

In recent years, Russia has become a major power broker in the Middle East, and now is aspiring to repeat the feat in neighbouring regions, particularly in Africa. It was predominantly the use of hard power in Syria that propelled Russia to the current influential position in the region, yet the political, financial and security costs of the use of power politics are poised to grow, which necessitates the prioritization of the diplomatic dimension, with such conflict resolution instrument as peace mediation playing an increasingly prominent role. The success Russia has had with the Astana peace process for Syria naturally encourages it to offer its good offices to other countries in the region and beyond, including Africa, which is particularly suffering from conflict. In early 2019, Russia brokered the signing of the Khartoum Peace Agreement between the parties to the conflict in the Central African Republic. In early 2020, Moscow hosted Libya peace talks. The aim of the study is to evaluate the theoretical, practical and geopolitical underpinnings of mediation employed by Russia and assess its potential in Africa. The theme is particularly relevant due to the holding of the First Russia–Africa Summit in 2019, which accentuated security as one of the key areas of Moscow’s cooperation with the continent. Methodologically, the present work relies heavily on contemporary conflict resolution research. The study is based on a wide range of scholarly papers and documents of international organizations. The present paper argues that peace mediation has become an important policy tool for Russia in Africa, and that it may also provide for strengthening Moscow’s position as one of the key providers of security on the continent. © 2020 Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.