NewsOnly 36% of Africans view Russia’s economic and political influence as positive, while 23% rate it negative, according to Afrobarometer. In 24 comparable countries, negative views of Russia rose by 6 percentage points, double the 3-point increase in positive views. In Mali, 88% of respondents view Russia’s role positively. At the sub-regional level, Russia performs strongest in Central Africa with 50% positive opinions and in West Africa with 43%. Southern Africa records 27%, East Africa records 26%, and North Africa records 34%, reflecting more reserved attitudes.

Source: The North Africa Journal March 02, 2026 23:22 UTC