Ukraine is making a big push to woo African governments

Ukraine is pushing to strengthen its alliances with African countries through an expansion of its grain shipments program, roughly doubling its embassies in Africa, and President Volodymr Zelenskyy making his first state visit to the continent in the coming months.

Now in the third year of a brutal war, following a full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, Ukraine faces an existential battle to build geopolitical ties globally as its key ally in the United States wavers in its support.

The move to ramp up the grain program coincides with broader moves to foster closer ties with African nations. A Ukrainian government spokesperson, responding to Semafor Africa’s questions about plans to expand its diplomatic reach, said Kyiv intends to roughly double its 12 embassies in Africa by adding between 10 and 12 more this year.

It comes as news emerged that Zelenskyy plans to visit the continent. “In the next few months, I believe President Zelenskyy will be coming to South Africa because he’d like to strengthen and expand the engagement,” South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said during an event last week in Washington D.C. at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace think tank.

Countries across Africa have been hit by higher food prices in the last two years since the war in Ukraine disrupted the transportation of grain from a country that is among the world’s largest wheat producers.

Ukraine has, since late 2022, worked with the World Food Programme to deliver grain to Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya, which have been among the African countries worst affected by food shortages in the wake of the conflict. This year it added Nigeria and Sudan.

Ukraine’s deputy agrarian minister, Markiyan Dmytrasevych, told Semafor Africa more than 200,000 tons had been delivered to African countries so far and his government plans to expand the programme. “We’re working alongside WFP to plan deliveries to Mozambique, Mauritania, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Malawi,” he said.

Ukraine’s efforts to win hearts and minds in Africa reflects a growing appreciation of the role played by the continent in geopolitical affairs. In a fractured world where the West is no longer the only voice heard on the world stage, it’s important to have allies in various parts of the world.

We saw the value of African alliances in the first few months of the conflict when nearly half of the 35 countries that abstained in a U.N. vote condemning Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine were in Africa. The abstentions made it clear that international condemnation of Moscow was not universal.

Now, amid the waning U.S. enthusiasm to continue financially supporting Ukraine’s war effort and global attention turning to the conflict in Gaza, it makes sense for Kyiv to broaden its alliances beyond the West. In a war of attrition that could go on for years, it can only help to have allies in Africa, and across the Global South more broadly. “We will continue to support our partners in Africa who have stood by us in the face of Russian aggression and are experiencing challenging food situations,” Dmytrasevych told Semafor Africa, emphasizing a spirit of mutual support.

Ukraine hopes that with its expanded program of grain shipments, it can counter the impression that Russia is the only side in the conflict trying to address the impact on Africans. At the same time, Zelenskyy’s visit to South Africa offers a high profile opportunity to show an affinity with the continent’s most influential country in geopolitical terms. And, in the longer term, doubling Ukraine’s embassies on the continent will radically strengthen Kyiv’s ability to broker diplomatic agreements and generally develop a more pronounced presence on the continent.

Ukraine’s efforts to deepen its ties across Africa come in the wake of a longstanding and multifaceted campaign by Russia to win over governments on the continent. Moscow has sought to exert influence through a combination of its own grain delivery program, military assistance, media partnerships, language courses, and university scholarships.

Last month, Russia said it had shipped 200,000 metric tonnes of free grain to six African countries as part of its efforts to honor its commitment.

And Russia’s offer of increased military cooperation has been accepted in recent months by the military juntas of three West African countries — Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso — battling jihadist insurgencies in the Sahel.

South Africa has been steadfast in its refusal to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It has repeatedly stressed its commitment to remaining non-aligned to the interests of major power blocs. But its relationship with Russia as part of the BRICS group of nations — in which the two nations are joined by founding members Brazil, India and China — has prompted accusations from some in the West that Pretoria has sided with Moscow in the conflict.

Pandor, while speaking in Washington DC last week, said South Africa wants to maintain a dialogue with both Russia and Ukraine. “Despite the criticism and the belief that South Africa is partisan, we talk to both,” said Pandor. “We’re the country that remains talking every week to both to say ‘we’ve got to get you in the same room’.”

• Ukrainian special forces and Wagner mercenaries are fighting in Sudan after backing rival sides in the country’s civil war, according to CNN and The Guardian.