The Africa Center for Strategic Studies, an academic institution within the US Department of Defence, established and funded by the American Congress, has accused Russia of attempting to undermine democracy in Nigeria and at least 27 other countries in Africa. Specifically, the centre established in 1999, in a new report titled: “Africa’s 2024 Security Trends in 10 Graphics”, fingered Russia in the recent anti-government protests in Nigeria, saying it sought to undermine the people’s trust in the Nigerian government.
The Africa Center says its mandate is to study security issues relating to Africa and serve as a forum for bilateral and multilateral research, communication, training, and exchange of ideas involving military and civilian participants. Describing Russia, China and Iran as ‘foreign authoritarian actors’, the report added that these countries have facilitated the democratic backsliding witnessed in Africa in recent years.
“Through disinformation, direct election interference, deployment of mercenaries, support for extra-constitutional seizures of power, and undermining of the United Nations, these foreign actors have attempted to prop up undemocratic authorities and normalize authoritarianism while paralyzing popular sovereignty as a means of expanding their influence in Africa.
Russia has sought to undercut democracy in at least 28 African countries spanning the continent. Information manipulation and political interference have been Russia’s most frequently used methods. These tools have likewise been deployed in Nigeria and Kenya in an attempt to hijack protests to undermine trust in government and democracy,” the report noted.
