Reading list: Africa-Ukraine-Russia relations

This ASCL Library reading list gives background information on Africa-Ukraine and Africa-Russia relations, and on what the present war between Russia and Ukraine means for Africa. It contains online articles, blogs, infographics, podcasts and videos, most of which are freely available.

This list will be updated regularly. If you would like to receive updates, subscribe to the ASCL Library alert service, and enter Ukraine and/or Russia as search terms.

Blog : Collateral damage of the current Russian aggression in Ukraine / Ton Dietz. Leiden: African Studies Centre, 2022.

Blog : Russia in Africa: a new Cold War? / Ton Dietz. Leiden: African Studies Centre, 2022.

Blog : Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could spell trouble for Africa’s food security / Assem Abu Hatab. Uppsala : NAI, 2022.

Infographic : Mapping Disinformation in Africa. Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2022.

Infographic : Who is buying wheat from Russia and Ukraine? / Deutsche Welle, 2022.

Infographic : Can Africa offer an alternative to Russian gas? Statista, 2022.

Journal article : The impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the Kenyan economy: evidence from an economy-wide model / Ndong Ntah, M., Nechifor, V., Ferrari, E., Nandelenga, M. W., & Yalew, A. W. In: African Development Review, 8 January 2024.

Journal article : A simulation of the macroeconomic effects of the Russia–Ukraine War on the Moroccan economy using the DSGE model / El Ouazzani, H., Ouakil, H., & Moustabchir, A. In: African Development Review, 11 December 2023.

Journal article : Russia's return to Africa: a comparative study of Egypt, Algeria and Morocco / Němečková, T., Melnikovová, L., & Piskunova, N. In : The Journal of Modern African Studies, vol. 59, no. 3 (2021), pages 367-390.

Journal article : Russo-African Relations and electoral democracy: assessing the implications of Russia's renewed interest for Africa / Akinlolu E. Akinola & Olusola Ogunnubi. In: African Security Review, vol. 30, no. 3, pages 386-402. (Restricted access)

Journal special issue : Special Focus: Africa and the war in Europe.
In : Strategic Review of Southern Africa, Vol. 44 No. 1 (2022)

Journal special issue : Russia in Africa: Who is courting whom? / Steven Gruzd, Samuel Ramani & Cayley Clifford (eds.)
In : South African Journal of International Affairs, Volume 29, Issue 4 (2022) (partly Open Access)

Podcast : Hoe de oorlog in Oekraïne ook Afrika raakt. De Africast, 2022. (in Dutch, with Ton Dietz)

Podcast : Mysterieuze Russische huurlingen verkrijgen steeds meer invloed in Afrika. Europa draait door, VPRO/NPO Radio 1, 2022. (in Dutch)

Research paper : Russian mercenaries in Africa / Rohan Kumar. Riverside : University of California, 2022.

Video : Russen in Afrika. Frontlinie, NPO Start, 2022. (in Dutch)

Web article : How the Russia-Ukraine War Impacts Africans / Nosmot Gbadamosi. Foreign Policy Magazine, Africa Brief, 2022.

Web article : The curious case of Russia in Central African Republic / Bram Posthumus. AlJazeera, 2022.

Web article : How Russia-Ukraine conflict could influence Africa’s food supplies / Wandile Sihlobo. The Conversation Africa, 2022.

Web article : Russia - Africa Relations in the 21st Century: Symbiotic or Predatory? / Ogunnoiki, A. O., Ani, I. C., & Iwediba, I. O. In: Covenant University Journal of Politics and International Affairs, vol 9, no. 2 (2022), pages 3650-3663.

Web article : Ukraine Conflict - Implications and Opportunities for Africa / Craig Moffat. ACCORD, 2022.

Web article : Why Africa is divided over the Russia-Ukraine war / Martha Kiiza Bakwesegha-Osula. International Politics and Society, 2022.

Web article : The war in Ukraine: Africa risks paying a heavy price for neutrality / Nicholas Westcott. The Conversation, 2022.

Web overview : Russia’s strategic engagement in Africa. SAIIA, 2022. (includes weblinks, infographics, and video)

Web report : Impacts of the conflict in Ukraine on global food security / Hans van Meijl, Heleen Bartelings, Siemen van Berkum, David Cui, Zuzana Smeets-Kristkova and Willem Jan van Zeis. Wageningen, Wageningen Economic Research, 2022. Report 2022-052.

Web report : Russia’s invasion of Ukraine jeopardizes food security in Africa : shocks to global food supply chains could lead to social and political unrest / Assem Abu Hatab. Uppsala: Nordiska Afrikainstitutet; 2022. (NAI Policy Notes).

Web report : Security, Soft Power and Regime Support: Spheres of Russian Influence in Africa / Emman El-Badawy, Sandun Munasinghe, Audu Bulama Bukarti, Beatrice Bianchi. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, 2022.