Russia to expand diplomatic presence in Africa

Moscow plans to open embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said

Russia is actively working to increase its diplomatic presence in Africa, with plans to establish embassies in Niger, Sierra Leone, and South Sudan, a senior Foreign Ministry official has said.

Alexey Klimov, the head of the consular department, revealed this initiative during an interview with TASS on Wednesday, emphasizing that consular sections will also be integrated into these new diplomatic missions.

“At present, we are working on expanding Russia’s diplomatic presence in African countries,” he said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov had previously raised the prospect of diplomatic expansion in May, reaffirming Moscow’s intention of establishing full-fledged embassies in these African nations.

This diplomatic effort follows earlier developments, including the establishment of a Russian embassy in Burkina Faso in December 2023. At the end of March, Vsevolod Tkachenko, who heads the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Africa Department, also announced that an embassy in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, is already operating de facto.

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Last year, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova outlined plans to increase Russia’s diplomatic representation across Africa. “In light of Russia’s growing attention to Africa, Russian President Vladimir Putin has set the task of increasing our diplomatic presence on the continent, which implies opening new posts or expanding staff in existing Russian diplomatic missions abroad,” she said.

Moscow is also making headway in negotiating visa-free travel agreements with several African countries. In the interview with TASS, Klimov noted that discussions were ongoing to secure visa-free entry for short-term visits, typically up to 90 days, with nine African and Middle Eastern nations.

Currently, Russian citizens enjoy visa-free regimes with several African countries, including Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Sao Tome and Principe, Tunisia, and Morocco. 

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