Russia has announced the establishment of a Department for Partnership with Africa as part of its strategy to strengthen ties with the continent.

The move marks another step in Moscow’s pivot towards Africa, aligning with its broader foreign policy shift towards the Global South amid its growing isolation from the West following the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov inaugurated the department in Moscow, acknowledging past missteps and attributing Russia’s diminished African engagement to post-Soviet financial constraints and an initial pro-Western orientation—calling it a “strategic error” that has since been corrected.

Lavrov highlighted Russia’s historical ties with Africa, referencing Soviet-era support for anti-colonial movements. He positioned Russia as a long-standing ally advocating Africa’s interests on the international stage, including its push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

“Russia consistently advocates for strengthening Africa’s position in the multipolar world that is objectively taking shape before our eyes,” he said. “This world must be consistently based on the principles of the UN Charter in their entirety and interrelation.”

Moscow is increasing its economic engagement with Africa, with bilateral trade reaching $25bn in 2024. However, Lavrov acknowledged that trade remains below its potential and called for further investment in energy, transport, digital technology and nuclear cooperation. He also announced plans to expand Russia’s diplomatic footprint, with new embassies set to open in Niger, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Gambia, Liberia, the Comoros and Togo.

The new department will oversee Russia’s Africa policy through multilateral organisations, including the African Union and BRICS, an interstate association comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa until January 1, 2024, when Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ethiopia joined.