They also pointed out that the global order established by the United States after the dissolution of the USSR is no longer accepted today, particularly by non-European countries. This is made evident by the emergence of the union of emerging economies, BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and with the addition of Ethiopia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates), and the large number of countries wishing to join it.

The ‘blocs’ measure themselves in Africa

The clash between the ‘Western bloc’, represented by the United States and the European Union, and the ‘Eastern bloc’, today composed of Russia and China, is, now as in the past, fierce. These tensions arise for various reasons, rooted in political, international security, religious, historical and value issues.

What has changed today, compared to the last century is that what is at stake is no longer the influence exerted on the European continent, but rather that exerted on the African continent.

Indeed, Europe is already firmly divided between countries that gravitate around the US, such as Italy, Germany and France, and countries that share the policies and ideologies of Moscow and Beijing, such as Slovakia, Serbia and Hungary.

The African continent, with its long history of colonisation, is currently undergoing a period of change. In recent years, Africa has been trying in every way to break away from the European colonists: electing new political representatives; eliminating the use of European languages in everyday life and in schools; allying itself with new political, military and trade partners in Russia and China. This is because the two ‘Eastern bloc’ powers offer greater guarantees for growth and greater decision-making autonomy than Europe grants them.

What are the advantages for Russia and China?

Africa is a continent rich in natural resources, such as water, forestry, mining and energy such as gas and oil, undoubtedly very useful to both powers.

Also crucial, especially for Russia today, is the strategic position it occupies in North Africa. North Africa, in fact, is a very important junction between the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and control of the region would allow Russia to consolidate its presence and influence in a geopolitically crucial area.

An alliance that might seem perfect, that between Africa, which wants to strengthen itself in terms of energy and be independent from European settlers, and Russia, which wants to increase its political influence and commercial investments at the expense of the West.

Three examples of the distancing of the African continent from Europe, and its rapprochement to the Russian-Chinese axis, with a particular focus on Russia, are Morocco, Egypt and Sudan. These three countries have links of varying intensity with the Eastern bloc and provide a clear overview of what is happening and how the ‘balance’ is changing.

Morocco, Egypt and Sudan

In recent years, Morocco has embarked on a path of political, economic and cultural estrangement from Europe, or rather from France, the colonial power that controlled the country for decades, making it its protectorate from 1912 to 1956.

Firstly, on a social level, Morocco is trying to eliminate, or reduce, the use of the French language and is rediscovering its origins and rich culture.

On the economic level, however, it is looking for new trading partners. In Europe, it has found them in Spain and Portugal, while internationally it is making several agreements with both Russia and China. In fact, Rabat is entering into a memorandum of understanding with Russia's national atomic energy company, Rosatom, to solve the drought problem by desalinating the waters of the Atlantic Ocean using atomic energy.

Egypt and Russia recently celebrated eighty years of strong bilateral relations and Egypt confirmed itself as one of Russia's most trusted and important partners in Africa. These celebrations were sealed by the inauguration of the fourth reactor of the Russian-built Egyptian nuclear power plant at El Dabaa, near the capital, Cairo.

Another important factor to remember is that Egypt is one of the new countries that joined the BRICS at the beginning of the year. Last year, in 2023, the Egyptian government had told Italy and the whole of Europe that it considered the emerging states, BRICS, to be the most suitable partners for the country's economic development.

The country's entry into the union of emerging economies has been favoured by Russia, with the Russian ambassador to Cairo, Georgy Borisenko, emphasising Egypt's interest in joining the economic alliance in June 2023, in order to maximise international trade and distance the US dollar.

The latest example is Sudan. On 25 May, Yasser al-Atta, general and member of Sudan's Sovereign Council, reiterated the country's decision to enter into trade and cooperation agreements with Moscow. Among these agreements is the establishment of a logistical centre for naval development in the Red Sea at Port Sudan.

In recent days, after years of negotiations, the two countries seem to have reached a formal agreement, which would grant Moscow permission to station its soldiers and warships on the Red Sea coast.

The alliance between Khartoum and Moscow would allow the latter to control one of the most important sea routes in the world and to further increase its role and influence in Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

See, La “guerra fredda” si combatte in Africa